What Lies beneath
by lunerwerewolf
Summary: Lord Conrart Victor Weller Has been Keeping one hell of a secret from everyone, How will his friends, family, and every one else react once it's reveled.
1. Chapter 1

Yuri smiled when he caught sight of 5 year old El running through the palace grounds with Conrad. Wolfram, Conrad and he had returned from Caloria only two days ago, and while Conrad was still a little shaky, it was good to see the man happily running around with young El, who had just recently been given his very first practice blade. El didn't look much older than three, and with brown hair and eyes he could easily have passed as Conrad's son rather than the son of Gwendal's cousin.

The demon king smiled as he chatted happily with brown haired Nicola and Hube, El's mother and father. Yuri couldn't help agreeing with the older man when he wondered aloud why Conrad hadn't just settled down and fathered a litter of his own children yet. Conrad loved children – and was far more affectionate and patient with them than most men considered 'manly'. Actually in some ways the young soldier was - as Yuri himself could attest to – down right mothering. He was calm, gentle, loyal, and loving, but Conrad could easily turn into a mother bear when something put one of his charges at risk.

Conrad carefully engaged the child with his own wooden sword, easily blocking the clumsy blows, before going to his knees beside the small boy, correcting his grip and showing him a new technique. He drilled the boy for a moment or two until the small child had the move down, meanwhile praising him the entire time.

"Conrad," Hube called, his voice laced with good humor. "Grow up and have kids of your own already and stop spoiling mine."

Conrad laughed and stashed the wooden blade in his belt beside his actual sword, and swung the small child up so that El was perched on his hip, with one small arm around his neck. Somehow he miraculously avoided being bashed in the temple by a hyper active toddler waving a wooden toy.

"And why would I ever want to do that when I get all of the benefits and none of the disciplinary pains? Being 'Uncle Conny' means I get to spoil them rotten, give them loads of sugar, and then hand them over to you." Conrad joked back.

Hube snorted, "Uncle Conny? I still like Tori better. Isn't that right El, Conrad's Uncle Tori?"

Conrad scowled while the little boy in his arms just blinked, clearly as baffled by the conversation as Yuri.

"Tori?" the young king questioned mildly.

The answer came in the form of Yozak who seemed to simply appear behind Conrad, making funny faces at the now giggling child in Conrad's arms. "Conrad's middle name is Victor," he said simply.

"Oh, okay."

Conrad laughed and handed young El over to his father before turning his attention to Nicola. "Do you have any ideas about what you're going to name your second son?" he asked politely.

Nicola sighed. "Not you too," she said with a groan. "Why is everyone so sure that it's going to be another son? I've been telling Hube for months now that he's going to have a daughter; I just know it." She smiled and left to go talk with Gisela – leaving the boys to do 'whatever boys do.'

Yuri opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off when Yozak and Conrad rounded on Hube. "You haven't told her?" Conrad demanded, at the same time as Yozak asked, "How could you not tell her about that damned law?"

"How could I? It would break her heart!"

Conrad raked a hand through his slightly shaggy hair. "And finding out after the child is born will kill her!"

"At least if she knows you can make plans and do something, not just hope and leave it to fate." Yozak added sharply.

Hube snorted. "I'd like to see either of you have this conversation with your wives about your children, but you don't have any!" Hube snapped back, before stalking off with El still in his arms.

Conrad pinched the bridge of his nose and half collapsed against Yozak, "For their sakes, I hope that baby's a boy."

"So do I," Yozak replied quietly. "I couldn't imagine how horrible it would be to have a female half-demon child."

Conrad sighed, and stood tall again. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go see Anissina." He muttered before turning and walking away.

Yuri rounded on the only person still there – Yozak. "What the hell was that all about?"

For a moment Yozak just looked at him and then he looked away, his blue eyes clouded with sorrow. "By tradition and under the mandate of a very, very old law, female half demons are put to death shortly after they draw their first breath."

"_**WHAT????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" **_Yuri yelled completely horrified.

Yozak sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Lady Cheri tried to get the law overturned on several occasions, but the council vetoed her every time – since she married a human and gave birth to a Half-breed, she's not fit to change the law since she's too close to it."

Yuri paced back and forth, furious with that bit of information. He always wondered why he'd never seen or heard of a female half-demon, but honestly he never expected the reason was because there weren't any. He thought that maybe they were incredibly rare thanks to some trick of genetics.

But this –

This was just horrible.

Poor Nicola . . . poor Cecilia for that matter- she must have been terrified before Conrad was born.

He –

He had to fix this.

NO

He would fix this!

He was the king for crying out loud!

What good was he to his people if he couldn't put an end to the injustice of an archaic law?

The Great One had carefully crafted his soul – taking generations to do it – to rid their world of the evil contained by the Four Demon Boxes.

Well, this was another evil that he would rectify.

And he would do it before Nicola gave birth!!!!

"Then that law _WILL _be _CHANGED!!!"_ he told Yozak firmly before stalking off in search of Günter and Gwendal.

He found them in Gwendal's office making plans for the spring equinox.

"Günter! Gwendal! You are my chief advisors, so advise me. How do I change an antiquated law?"

Both men jumped, startled by his tone and glanced at each other. Honestly Yuri wasn't surprised; he'd never taken that tone with anyone before. It was a measure of just how outraged and disgusted he was with the injustice of this law and the failure of his advisors to bring it to his attention sooner. His displeasure clearly showed in his voice.

"Which law does his majesty wish to change?" Günter asked carefully.

~~~***~~~

Conrad sighed as he knocked on the door to Anissina's lab. He'd been doing this for more than a century and it still hadn't gotten any easier. It was still damned painful actually, but he needed the pills she gave him, just like he needed the bright orange sludge he had to drink once a month despite the side-effects it forced him to endure. He honestly didn't know which was worse—the muted pain he was in immediately after drinking it, coupled with the nausea and fatigue, or the agony of not taking it promptly every month.

He didn't even want to think about how bad the drug withdrawal symptoms would be if he ever actually stopped taking it. The pills were just as bad in some ways; when he missed a dose he got VERY emotional.

Overly emotional!

It was beyond aggravating.

Anissina smiled at him as he entered her office, and looked him up and down, in a manner that made him feel like an interesting specimen under glass. "You're looking better. Have the – ah – residual effects of being late for a dose worn off yet?"

Conrad blushed at the reminder of the horrible week he'd spent (as Jose had once put it) 'coming down' off of the drugs he'd been taking for an extremely long time. "Most of them stopped as soon as I drank that vile two days ago. The rest I can live with until they pass, and it's not like anyone's noticed the symptoms. I've gotten rather good at hiding them."

Anissina nodded and reached into one of her drawers and pulled out a non-descript cloth bag that Conrad knew from experience held a two months supply of the little green pills he took twice a day. The drawstring was pulled shut, so she tossed it lightly to him and he caught it, raising his eyebrow at the slight difference in the weight from what he was accustomed to.

The pills actually felt bigger.

"I've upped the dose," Anissina told him calmly. "You're gaining a bit of a tolerance to them, so hopefully that will do something for you."

He inclined his head and muttered his thanks before reminding her that if she ever needed anything from him all she had to do was ask. With a snort, she dismissed him with a wave of her hand and he left the room.

Knowing he was safe from prying eyes since no one ever came down this way for fear of being Anissina's next lab rat, he opened the bag, liberated two pills, and popped them into his mouth, swallowing them before tucking the little bag into his breast pocket.

With a sigh, he headed towards his rooms. Unfortunately, he was still a bit shaky from not taking the sludge on time, so he decided to lie down for a bit.

He was blissfully unaware of the green eyes following his every move.

~~~***~~~

Wolfram couldn't believe what he'd just seen!

How – How could Conrad do something so stupid?

What was he thinking? And what in the hell was he taking? It couldn't be medication; he'd have gotten that from Gisela and not Anissina. That and from what he'd overheard of their conversation – well, it definitely didn't sound good.

He should go straight to Gwendal and Gisela with this information. Conrad had to be relieved of duty and they had to find some way of helping him. However, this could ruin his reputation. Wolfram groaned—he wasn't quite sure how to handle this.

By the Great One, of all of the people he knew Conrad was the last one he'd expected to be stupid enough to do something like this.

He wondered exactly what his brother was taking. Judging by the symptoms it couldn't be opium, and Conrad had no reason to be taking steroids.

Could it be one of those new hallucination-causing drugs that had recently been seeping into the country through Big Shimaron?

Ugh! He wasn't familiar enough with those things to gauge Conrad's behavior to look for possible symptoms! Then he stopped and thought for a moment—Anissina had asked him if he was feeling any better after missing a dose. Their trip to Caloria had lasted a week longer than expected due to bad weather; in that time Conrad had become distinctly crabby. He even lost his temper to the point of shouting, and he kicked over a bucket of mop water while having a cursing fit. Then he dissolved into tears and had doubled over as if in pain on several occasions.

Yuri had actually confined the man to their quarters below deck after Conrad had joined Wolfram in losing his lunch to the sea three separate times. They all thought he was ill – and thus irritable.

Now he wasn't so sure.

Wolfram groaned, torn between doing his duty as a member of the king's military – and his duty as a brother. As an officer, his duty was to report this so that they could pull Conrad off duty and away from anything he could potentially screw up. However, as a brother his duty was to Conrad.

Running a hand through his hair – in a manner oddly reminiscent of the brother he was currently contemplating, he resolved to confront Conrad first – and if that didn't work, he would take the matter to Gwendal and then to Gisela.

~~~***~~~

Conrad shifted slightly, trying vainly to make the world around him settle. This new dosage was wreaking almost as much havoc on his body as they had back when he'd first started taking the things. He was cold—

But his blood felt like it was on fire!

He could feel something . . .

Writhing beneath the surface of his skin

Like a caged lion just waiting to get out

Something more aggressive then his normal self lurked just beneath the surface of his soul

He wanted to scream – but he held his piece.

He wanted to break something, just to hear it smash, but he refused to give in to the urge.

So he was less than happy when Wolfram barged into his rooms without knocking.

"I know mother taught you how to knock!" he snapped, glaring at his little brother over the pillow he was currently crushing.

Wolfram glared right back. "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you until you take yourself outside and practice the manners I know you were taught. You are a prince of this realm, not a peasant who grew up among the riff raff. No go out and ask permission to enter like a proper gentleman!" Conrad was definitely not in the mood to deal with his little brother right now. He was annoyed and his head hurt.

Wolfram shut the door alright – but he didn't leave first. "I know you're taking drugs!" the blonde said sharply.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON?!!!!!!" Conrad snapped sitting bolt up in bed, his languor vanishing. Had Wolfram just accused him of what he thought he did? Honestly either Wolfram was on something himself or he needed to have his ears checked because he'd done nothing to indicate that he was taking anything!

Wolfram crossed his arms. "Don't bother trying to hide it, Conrad! I KNOW you're taking something! What is it_?!"_

_Oh, this wasn't good!_

"Nothing, now get out!" Conrad retorted sharply, rising to his feet to face his little brother.

"You can either tell me, or I'm going to Gwendal and Gisela!" Wolfram yelled, refusing to budge even an inch.

Conrad sputtered… _Gwendal? He was going to tell Gwendal? Oh by the Great One, Gwendal would kill him for being so foolish! Gisela, oh Gods, Gisela—he didn't want to have to explain this to her. She'd find out the truth . . . the secret he'd kept hidden for so long. Oh Gods, if that happened he was a dead man. _

He swallowed, forcing down his fears. "What are you going to tell them? That you think I'm on drugs? You do realize they'll laugh you right out of their offices, right?" he shot back, planting his hands on his hips in one of his more effeminate gestures.

Wolfram raised an eyebrow at his defensive stance. "I saw you taking those green pills outside of Anissina's lab, so you'd better start talking or I WILL go to Gwendal and Gisela." He paused before adding forcefully "And then I'll go to Yuri – and you know how he feels about drugs!"

Conrad jerked as if he'd just been struck. He was furious, and having trouble controlling his temper. Gods, how much had Anissina upped the dose? He wanted to throttle Wolfram – and he was only just able to control himself.

He wanted to tell Wolfram – the truth was the best option, but he also wanted to live. Wolfram also had an explosive temper that made telling him any form of a secret dicey. He still remembered how Yuri – and actually everyone barring Yozak had discovered his proclivities.

Wolfram had been angry and it had 'just come out' in the middle of the palace courtyard. He wanted to tell his brother the truth – but he valued his life more.

Wolfram was still ranting at him as his fury suddenly took over. He snatched something off the bed stand and flung it at his baby brother. He couldn't stop himself – by the Great One he had tried, but it was like he was merely watching someone else.

Wolfram neatly ducked under the – thankfully unlit - candle with ease and went right back to his lecture. Fearing his own temper, Conrad stormed out of the room and slammed the door sharply behind him. He stalked down the hall; a veritable thunderstorm given Demonic form! He was nearly at the end of the hall when he then realized something. Turning sharply on his heel, he marched back down the hall and flung open the door to find Wolfram exactly where he'd left him.

"This is my room!" He snapped. "Get out!!!!"

Wolfram jumped about a foot and scurried out past him, yelling "This isn't over Conrart!" over his shoulder as he left.

Conrad swore as he slammed the door behind his retreating brother's back and stalked over to his wardrobe. Pulling out his civilian clothing, he dressed quickly in dark colors, specifically a deep blue with a purplish hue. Then he put on matching boots and slipping his hands into a set of matching gloves that covered only the backs of his hands. He grabbed a lightly colored overcoat and fled the palace as quickly as his horse could carry him.

He was going underground, to the Comb, the one place in this entire cursed world where he could just be himself. It was the one place in the entire kingdom where he was known by everyone, and they didn't care who or what he was – he was going to the place where the Shadows dwelled.


	2. Chapter 2

Wolfram stormed down the hallway, furious. How could Conrad lie to him like that? He couldn't believe Conrad had thrown a candle and its stand at him. Thankfully the damned thing hadn't been lit. However, that one action simply proved his worst suspicions. Conrad had never had a violent temper! He was more inclined to simply walk off then to throw things.

Honestly as far as he was concerned, Conrad's actions had only confirmed his fears. He'd given his brother plenty of reasons to throw things at him over the decades and Conrad had never done so - until now. This argument shouldn't have ended the way it did. If Conrad hadn't been taking anything he never would have reacted violently to his accusations. He would simply have walked away, or submitted himself to Gisela to prove his innocents.

Wolfram sighed, he had no choice now but to go to Gwendal with this unfortunate bit of information.

He turned the corner and caught sight of Conrad, slipping into a disused secret corridor that actually lead to one of two places out into the stables and out under the palace wall. It was also large enough that three mounted men could ride abreast of each other.

He cursed, and darted down the hall in the opposite direction. There was only one person in the entire kingdom capable of tracking Conrart through the maze of secret passageways that led out of the palace and into the city or forest without accidently finding himself in the Comb where he would never again be allowed to see the light of day.

The Comb was the place where the Shadows dwelled. They were a secretive lot that had been charged by the great one millenniums ago with protecting the treasures deemed two powerful to exist above ground. Considering that the four Demon boxes that contained the Soushu had been allowed to exist above ground, he didn't want to imagine what horrors the Comb held. As a member of the Royal family he had some immunity in venturing within the Comb, but even then he was only allowed into the outer most chambers - where the ashes of the past Maou's and their immediate families where held.

The problem was he couldn't possibly hope to track Conrad in the vast maze of secret passages without accidently finding himself deeper inside the Comb then he was aloud.

"Yozak" he yelled the second he saw the orange haired spy, "I have a job for you."

Yozak turned, and inclined his head briefly in acknowledgement of his presence, before asking, "And what might that be Lord Wolfram?"

"I want you to follow Conrad I think he's in trouble. He just disappeared into the secret passageways. From the looks of it, he was headed for the stables.

"Alright – I'll bite, sides keeping an eye on the Captain's fun." Yozak muttered to himself as he headed off in the direction of the stables.

"And Yozak," Wolfram called. "Don't get caught."

Yozak shrugged. "As your highness wishes," he said nonchalantly not even bothering to pause.

Wolfram stayed only long enough to watch the big spy disappear into the stables – he'd done everything he could for now. All he had left to do was the truly unpleasant task of informing Gwendal. Then between the two of them, they could hopefully find a way to help Conrad without having to involve Gisela or Yuri.

Their king would be devastated if he found out Conrart was this weak, this foolish.

He couldn't bring himself to shake his beloved fiancé's faith in his own elder brother – but by the Great One if he had to in order to save Conrad from himself … he would!

Turning on his heel, he marched back into the palace content in biding his time until he could get Gwendal alone.

~~~***~~~

Yozak crouched up in the rafters, discreetly watching Conrad tack up his mare. He could tell by what Conrad was wearing that he would likely be disappearing into the Comb again, and he wondered just why Wolfram thought he was in trouble. "Little Lord Brat" as he'd been called on multiple occasions, amazed him some times – of all the times Conrad had disappeared into the Comb, sometimes for days – why notice this one?

Why- when it had been Conrad's habit to seek refuge among the Shadows whenever he simply couldn't face life any longer?

He often wondered what Conrad did down there besides sit on the cold marble floor talking to a grave. Was it one person in particular that Conrad went to see, or did it even matter to the young prince?

He'd never had the gall to ask.

Quietly he waited, and watched until Conrad led his horse into the secret passageway he'd arrived from, then he went and tacked up his own mount. He was fairly certain he knew exactly where Conrad was going, and that he could make it there above ground Just as easily as he could by following Conrad through the maze that lay beneath the palace the city and The Great One's Temple. However, Wolfram had seemed genuinely worried. He pulled out the special shoes that would muffle the sound of his horse's hooves on the stone floors and followed his friend into the vast underground maze, waiting only long enough not to alert Conrad to his presence.

He had more experience with this then he wanted to admit – even to himself.

~~~***~~~

Conrad sighed as he turned his horse up one corridor that would let him out beyond the palace walls. He could have theoretically simply walked into the Comb via one of the old entrances in the palace itself but Yuri liked to explore, and he didn't want his king finding his way down here and getting lost. It was true the Shadows would never hurt the boy – but still, he remembered how hard it had been the first time he'd gotten lost down here. Now more than a century later he belonged as much to the Shadow's world as he did to the world above Ground. Actually, had Yuri not pardoned him for his actions all those years ago (when he'd played the part of the traitor) he would simply have stopped taking his medication, and then moved permanently into the Comb.

In some ways he was very, very thankful that Yuri had pardoned him. Being able to simply watch a sunrise or a sunset, was one of life's little privileges that he certainly would have missed had he truly become a Shadow. However, it would have been nice to finally truly be able to just be himself.

The only problem was – he wasn't sure he knew how.

That more than anything else hurt!

Just like that, one secret caused his soul deep agony of doubt every time he passed the Mirror of Mikkoku*.

The damned thing was one of the priceless artifacts that existed nowhere else but in the Comb. The Shadows had placed it at the entrance to the "River of Lost Secrets" a room on the fringes of the comb that literally had the ability to drive a grown man mad with paranoia, guilt and grief using nothing more than the very secrets they held in their hearts.

Mikkoku was just a warning of what that room held. A man standing directly in front of it would see nothing but his own reflection. However, someone standing off to the side saw the man's deepest secrets. The only way the mirror showed you your own deepest secret was if you happened to catch a vague glimpse of it as you walked by.

The damned things sister The Mirror Chuujou** was just as bad, it showed the person standing directly in front of it the truth of themselves whether they wanted to see it or not.

Sighing he dismounted as he came to a seemingly dead end.

~~~***~~~

Yozak backpedaled in mild alarm at what he thought he'd just seen in the mirror he'd just passed. However when he turned to face the ornately carved thing, all he saw was his own reflection. He shook his head and forced down his own paranoia. He caught sight of the same thing again as he walked and deliberately ignored it. Who knew what crazy artifact he was dealing with here? Who cared if it showed the one secret he never wanted anyone to know.

The one secret Conrad would probably skin him over.

He dropped to his knees lightly, checking to make sure he was still on Conrad's trail and not hopelessly lost. That done, he swung back up into his saddle and kept going.

Conrad had had the annoying habit of slipping his guards as a young boy - it was a habit that persisted into adult hood.

It never failed anytime Conrad was placed under guard he invariably vanished right out from under their conjoined noses. Three years ago, when a plot by Belar had been uncovered, Yuri panicked at the threat to his Godfather's life and had assigned Conrad a full guard detail - much to Conrad's annoyance - after an assassin had managed to put a few poison tipped darts into Conrad's hip, shoulder, and neck at a banquet.

Conrad had awoken a week later still in pain and ROYALY PISSED OFF - pun intended.

His state of ill humor had not improved upon learning that he was now expected to have a full detail of 12 guards following him at all times. Actually, Conrad had had an outright fit, worthy of a pampered and spoilt princess.

He'd bowed to his godson and king's whishes for all of 6 hours before promptly vanishing nearly without a trace.

Yozak had tailed his friend then, just as he was now, they hadn't returned then - until after 'handling the problem'.

Conrad was his best friend, and he would willingly have followed him into the bawls of hell to protect him, so it made doing what he considered his most sacred duty easy. Over the years, he'd followed Conrad and his majesty Yuri as what Conrad believed to be his 'undercover backup'.

In reality, he was Conrad's own personal undercover Guard - and had been since he'd turned 80.

Conrad would likely never speak to him again if he ever found out.

However, it was worth it just to know his best friend was safe.

It also made his feelings for his friend even more taboo then just the difference in their ranks could manage.

The truth was he was madly in love with his best friend. In some ways that in and of itself was odd. Despite his cross-dressing habits, he was 'strait' as Yuri had once put it. Usually all of his sexual fantasies featured women; over time however, that had changed. It had taken him the better part of a year to realize that the woman of his nightly erotic fantasies was actually a female version of Conrad. It had taken him nearly two years to come to terms with that fact.

Then slowly, that woman had morphed into Conrad himself.

He sighed as he turned his horse to the left, noting the slight incline of the path they were currently taking. Maybe he should just tell his best friend he dreamed about fucking him into the mattress. Actually dreamed wasn't –quite - the right word, not when Conrad currently stared in his every naughty fantasy. Asleep or not!

Problem was he didn't know how Conrad would react.

He knew his best friend was gay – actually, he knew that Conrad "liked men" and didn't find women "even remotely appealing."

But still, as far as he knew Conrad had never had a tryst with anyone romantically involved or not. Actually – Conrad had never even had a date! He'd had offers sure but he'd turned them all down.

Finally coming to a dead end, he looked around for the trigger that would release the door.

The secret passage let him out exactly where he'd expected it to, about four miles from the temple in a shaded forest near a little used deer trail. It didn't take long to find Conrad's trail. Following him from here would be easy.

He knew exactly where Conrad was going.

~~~***~~~

Conrad sighed as he dismounted. He was very familiar with the shaded forest glen he was currently in. Carefully he tied back his horse's reins, secure in the knowledge that she was well trained and wouldn't wander.

He pulled up some long grasses, and edible plant matter he knew the little mare would enjoy and piled them at her feet. Leaving her own her own devices, he went to the secret entrance to the heart of the Comb and let himself in completely ignoring the warning that the Shadows dwelled there, and trespassers would never again be allowed to see the light of day.

Technically, he wasn't a trespasser.

By demonic custom, he'd lived his entire life with one foot in the grave. It gave him a bit of leeway among the Shadows. Bryce their headman said that he was a Shadow that existed even in the light.

~~~***~~~

* betrayal or secret information

** true heart


	3. Chapter 3

Gwendal sighed as he watched Wolfram stalk out of his office slamming the door behind him. Honestly, Conrart on drugs? That was about as likely to happen as … as Anissina suddenly deciding she should stop inventing to settle down and raise a family! But still – much as he hated to admit it – Wolfram had a point. He'd stumbled upon Conrad taking some pills that had clearly been given to him by Anissina and not by Gisela. It would raise questions. Questions Conrad couldn't afford. He'd have to talk with his younger sibling about discretion. He couldn't have 'Tori' getting complacent – it could prove detrimental to Conrad's health.

Turning away from the door and his retreating younger brother, he turned his thoughts toward his other sibling. He couldn't even imagine how difficult this whole fiasco was for Conrad, to live his life the way he had. It had to be hard. With a sigh, he turned his attention back to the mountain of paper work adorning his desk. Some of it was nothing more interesting than the day to day running of the kingdom; things he was still helping their boy king to complete. Thankfully, there was a lot less of it in the last few years then there had been originally, but their king could not take care of it all yet, he still needed time to devote to his lessons.

Which was where he and Günter were currently – up in the north tower working on the king's studies.

Gwendal pulled out a copy of the old law the king wanted to change, the one that had doomed his baby sister to death so long ago, and began to read, carefully finding any loopholes they could exploit in rewriting 'King Slaughter's' horrible and cruel law.

He owed that much to his long dead sibling. Hell, he owed that much to Conrad, Nicola, Hube, baby El, and every other half-breed.

~~~***~~~

Wolfram stormed down the hallway, utterly furious. Not only had Gwendal not believed him but he'd also ordered him to 'drop the subject.' He'd been ordered to 'leave it alone.' Hell Gwendal had expressly forbidden him from going to Gisela with his suspicions – though he had promised to 'talk with Conrad'. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn it! Why DIDN'T ANYONE ever LISTEN to HIM?!!!

He paused briefly, as a thought came to him – Gwendal had forbidden him from talking to Gisela – he'd never forbidden him from talking to Yuri. Wolfram knew his fiancé well enough to know the young king would pitch a fit the second he learned that Conrad was taking drugs. Yuri would do something to help Conrad, even if it meant embarrassing the hell out of him.

He turned and headed off in the direction of the tower only to freeze as he realized that Günter would be in attendance. Much as Conrad respected the flighty advisor, Wolfram couldn't trust him with this. Sighing he rubbed the bridge of his nose and made his way back to his rooms to wait. He'd talk to Yuri tonight – once they were alone.

~~~***~~~

Yozak sighed and settled himself down to wait; honestly, he didn't know how long Conrart would be. He had the habit of vanishing into the Comb for hours or even days on end, depending on what had driven him down there in the first place. The question now was – exactly what had driven Conrart to retreat into the Comb, and how long would he be down there before he felt ready to face the world above ground again?

He was starting to wish he'd packed a lunch.

Thankfully, Yuri was still in residence on their world – not that the king had spent much time on Earth in the last few years. That meant that Conrad wasn't likely to be down in the Comb for long since he still had his morning jog with Yuri. His majesty tended to worry when Conrart was absent – since that tended to herald an act of extreme recklessness on Conrad's part and Yuri had learned to recognize that fact.

It meant that no matter how upset Conrad was he would likely be reappearing sometime before 7 tomorrow morning.

Now all he could do was wait, and consider the predicament he'd found himself in, he'd seen his greatest secret in that mirror, and now he had to wonder about what it meant. He wasn't stupid. He knew how much of a long shot it was that Conrad would return his feelings and the difference in their ranks alone would make things politically dicey. Not that that would deter Conrart at all should the other man actually share his feelings.

Honestly, he didn't know if telling his best friend his feelings was a good idea or not, but he had to try … he couldn't continue with the charade any longer. He'd held his tongue for as long as he could hoping that his infatuation with his friend would pass.

It hadn't – if anything it had gotten stronger.

Now here he was, waiting for his friend to come up out of the Comb so that he could risk it all and either win the other man's affection or finally know where he stood so he could move on.

It was a terrifying prospect.

~~~***~~~

"…and now Wolfram thinks I'm on drugs." Conrad told the gravestone in front of him mildly, "As if I would even think of doing something so incredibly stupid! It's not like I don't already have enough problems and lies in my life without having to worry about drugs and addiction. Great One sometimes I just wish I could tell the whole world the truth about us both. It would make my life a couple hundred times easier."

Predictably, the grave didn't have an answer to his problems, but it felt good to voice them just the same. Down here, he could let all of his barriers down and truly be 'Tori' – who ever in the hell he was!

The Comb was an interesting place made almost entirely up of black marble, except for the grave markers; they were made of white marble. The Comb had been built at the same time as the capital city above it. Its construction was for only two purposes, to house the honored dead, Maou's and their immediate families; and to Guard the treasures of Shin Makoku deemed to dangerous to be held above ground in the palace or in the temple of the great one. Actually, it was a little known fact that the tomb of the Great One was actually in a subterranean burial chamber much like the one he currently sat in, directly below the temple's main chamber.

The chamber he currently sat in belonged to the 26th Maou and her family. It stood empty but for two closed graves. One of them, directly to the left of the open marker bearing his lady mother's name and a small inset circlet of gold marking the future resting place of the ashes of the 26th Maou, bore the name of her first husband and royal consort Lord Vincent von Voltaire. It stated his name, the date of his birth, the date of his death, and the words 'Fallen in honorable battle'.

The other sat nestled quietly amid the still unoccupied other two graves bearing the names of her living children. The closed marker in accordance with custom bore two names 'Conrart Victor Weller', and directly below it 'Victoria Conradaine Weller', the date of their shared birth, gently chiseled below each name, a single date of death, and the words 'A babe in arms, taken by justice's hand'; along with an odd glyph that marked them as half-breeds.

'Taken by justice's hand' that phrase had always annoyed him. The healers had given his mother 24 hours to say good-bye to her daughter before they carried out the execution sentence. What justice was there to be had in executing a child before they'd lived to commit any crime?

"I see you've come home again Young One."

Bryce's voice startled him out of his thoughts and he rose gracefully to his feet, and gave the man a half bow.

"As ever it is a pleasure to be in the world where Shadows dwell." Conrad said mildly. He meant it, he truly did. This was after all his second home and the only place he could truly just be himself without having to worry about the consequences.

Bryce smiled at him; he was a wise old man who had seen much in his 900 odd years of life. "Your heart is heavily burdened Young One. Perhaps you should lay your troubles' at the feet of one who can help you to shoulder them and not at the doorstep of one who can only watch and offer you no advice. For although they have words to speak you do not yet have the ears with which to make use of their advice, or their comfort."

Conrad inclined his head, "I thank you for the friendly ear, old friend." Slowly and quietly, he told the man everything that had been going on, of his own sorrow and worry, as well as the pain and confusion that drove him down here, to the grave of his twin.

When he'd finished Bryce only sighed and beckoned him to follow. Without a thought, he did as the old man asked. Bryce led him through the familiar twisting, turning labyrinth of black marble tunnels and hallways until they came upon the door to a chamber Conrad had seen on many, many occasions. The old man nodded quietly at the two Shadows guarding the door and beckoned Conrad to follow him across the threshold.

Beyond the doorway lay the only room in the entirety of the Comb made entirely out of white marble and well lit by the flickering light of silver candlesticks – in the exact center of the room stood the mirror Chuujou.

It was here that Bryce led him. His hands resting on Conrad's shoulders the old man steered him about like a parent with a small child until he stood directly in front of the thing.

"Now Young One, tell me what do you see?"

Conrad sighed and looked closely at his reflection in the mirror, seeing everything that he was, his entire being laid bare for the world to see. After a moment's hesitation, he replied simply. "The truth."

Bryce swatted him lightly, as he would have done to a cheeky child. "Do not sass me child. Now what is it that you truly see?"

Conrad sighed, "I see Tori."

"Good," Bryce said firmly, "don't you forget it, and remember there is no shame in being who you are." The man paused briefly, ruffling his hair in an affectionate manner – as if he was still a small child and not a grown man. "I'll leave you here to think on that until you are ready to face the light again, Little Shadowed One."

With that, he was gone.

Sighing Conrad settled himself down on the floor and gazed up into the mirror, marking every detail of the Conrart Weller reflected there, but also gazing in confused wonder at the other form in the mirror. Victoria smiled at him out of the glass.

~~~***~~~

Wolfram looked up at the sound of the door to the rooms he shared with Yuri opening. Swallowing he gathered his courage and moved to speak with him.

"We need to talk," he said mildly, leading his startled and confused fiancé over to the sofa.

Yuri settled himself down one leg tucked up under him. "What do you want to talk about, Wolfram?"

Wolfram sighed, and glanced down. "I need to talk to you about Conrart."

"Alright, what about Conrad?" Yuri asked he couldn't help being worried, Wolfram rarely admitted to any sort of feelings for his brother, and right now the blond looked seriously worried.

"I- I think Conrart's taking drugs." Wolfram confessed after a moment's silence.

"You think Conrad's doing What?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yuri yelped, "Wolfram no offence, but that is completely insane."

Wolfram stood up so quickly Yuri was surprised he didn't have a dizzy spell. "Why," he yelled, "because Conrart is perfect and infallible?"

Yuri rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, because three years ago when one of the kids at school offered me drugs and I was lucky enough to be sucked into a puddle before I had to answer, it was Conrad who I talked to about the incident and Conrad who encouraged me to put my foot down and to say no. He didn't know much about drugs from earth but he did tell me that it was a very bad idea. Wolfram I can't see Conrad as being the type to tell me not to do something only to turn around and do the exact same thing, and rushing recklessly in to help someone else doesn't count."

"Yuri I heard him talking with Anissina, she said something about upping his dosage, so that they would do something for him. If it's not drugs why is he going to Anissina and not Gisela or one of the other Healers? That and I saw him taking a couple of pills just after he left Anissina's office. By the Great One Yuri, Conrart has never had a violent temper, but he threw a candle and it's holder at me a few hours ago! Then he vanished into the secret passageways. I have Yozak following him, but honestly Yuri, does that sound like something Conrart would do? He has to be on drugs there's no other way to explain his behavior!"

Yuri sighed, "Alright, if it makes you feel better – I'll talk to Conrad when he gets back from where ever he went."

~~~***~~~

Conrad yawned as he made his way back up out of the Comb flashing the small silver sea Lion shaped pendent that he had tucked into his clothing, at the guard on the way out. It marked him as a member of the royal family with the right to come and go as he pleased. He'd sat in front of that mirror for several hours before he'd been able to work up the courage to get up and walk away.

As much as it hurt, he wanted that truth, and it pained him because it was something he could never have. His twin was dead nothing would change that, just as nothing could change the fact that survival had forced him to play a role until on some level he'd forgotten who he even was. He'd forgotten how to be himself, simply because he'd never had the chance to be himself. For as long as he could remember he'd played the part of Lord Conrart Weller the Maou's son, he'd never had a chance to find out who Conrart really was.

Sighing he shielded his eyes as he stepped out of the passageway into the Comb, and into the early dawn light.

"Morning, Captain." Yozak called from where he sat up in the branches of an old oak tree off to the side of the clearing.

Conrad inclined his head. "Yozak."

"So you want to tell me why, Little Lord Brat seems to think you're in some kind of trouble?" Yozak asked as he dropped to the ground.

Conrad sighed and made his way over to his horse. "He saw me taking my medication after going to see Anissina, and assumed I was taking drugs." He said as he liberated a change of clothing.

"Ah," Yozak replied calmly. "I can see why he would think that." He held up his hands in mock surrender at the look his friend shot him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Conrad yelled hands planted on his hips.

Yozak arched an eyebrow. "Oh come on Connie, you have to admit it's kind of suspicious. Every time they change the dose of your medication, you become jumpy and downright hard to deal with. On top of that, you get whatever the hell you're taking from Anissina rather then one of the healers and always have. That is kind of incriminating."

"Yozak, I – you don't know what I'm taking -" Conrad began slowly.

Yozak snorted, "Hormones," he said mildly. "I know you have a hormone deficiency. Your father told me when we were younger and I asked why you had to drink the goo once a month. What I don't understand is why you get if from Anissina, and not one of the healers."

"I –" Conrad started only to cut himself off and try again. "When I was little mother was afraid that if anyone knew they'd take it as an excuse to kill me to. She was afraid I – afraid the council would think I wasn't enough of a man to be allowed to live. I guess I still live with that fear."

He blinked when Yozak wrapped his arms around him.

"I'll protect you." The Red-head whispered into his ear. "That and anybody who wants to kill you over that stupid law and the fact that you have a medical condition would have to face your pissed off (and thus seriously scary) godson."

Conrad couldn't help it he laughed. "Come on we should be getting back, I don't know about you but I'm hungry and if I don't meet Yuri in two hours, he's going to have a conniption." He said, pulling out of his friend's embrace.

Yozak caught his arm. "In a minute, there's something I wanted to talk to you about first."

Conrad turned his attention back to his best friend. "Yozak what is it? I've never known you to be this serious."

"I" Yozak swallowed; well there was no turning back now. He might as well just say it and get it over with, "I think I've fallen in love with you."

Conrad jerked as if he'd been slapped this just couldn't be happening. He loved Yozak but Yozak could never like him back – he didn't deserve it. Yozak would only hate him later. He – he had to stop this – he couldn't risk further tarnishing their friendship.

He couldn't get involved with Yozak, just like he couldn't get involved with anyone else. Not while he was living a lie! He loved his best friend and wanted nothing more than to be cradled in his arms to have the right to call Yozak his… but he loved his friend enough not to pull him into the disaster that was his life. Not to pull him into the tangled web of lies he lived with every day. He loved him enough to spare him that.

"Yozak, I," Conrad swallowed, he wanted nothing more than to give in to his feelings for his friend, but he remembered what he'd seen in that mirror and he held his ground. "I love you too, but I cannot and will not start a relationship under false pretenses. I am sorry, but please for the sake of our friendship… just let it go alright."

That said, he pulled his arm out of Yozak's grasp, turned, mounted his horse and headed back to the palace at a gallop, trying to outrun his own tears.

I did the right thing. He repeated over and over trying desperately to convince himself. All the while aware of the fact that Yozak wasn't following him. He felt so alone and lost without the spy's presence.

~~~***~~~

A.N

Confused yet? Anyway read and review please.

Sambi's Note:

Oy. What is this… this thinking thing everyone seems so hung up on… Yozak thinks he's in love with Conrad, Conrad thinks it's best to deny his feelings, and Wolfram thinks Conrad's on drugs. Seriously people, stop thinking so much and just do, like Yuri – with him, things go straight from reaction to action there is no thinking involved. And Yozak what kind of confession was that? I mean seriously if you're gonna lay it all on the line like that at least get a kiss out of the deal… sheesh amateurs

Our favorite werewolf is still having internet trouble so here I am faithfully posting for her and all you wonderful readers.

**IMPORTANT** I just noticed that I swapped the meanings of the two mirrors names when I posted the last chapter, they should be fixed now but to clear up any lingering confusion here are the correct meanings:

Mikkoku = betrayal or secret information

Chuujou = true heart

Sorry about the mix-up


	4. Chapter 4

Conrad reined in Stardust as they traded the hard packed dirt road for the paved streets leading up to the capital city. Quickly wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he did his best to suppress Tori's errant emotions. Stardust whickered and then the beautiful filly turned her buttermilk colored head and nuzzled his knee – sensing his discomfort. Smiling lightly at the small sign of affection coming from his beloved mount, Conrad leaned forward in his saddle and gently caressed the crest of her eloquent neck. His fingers vanishing into the thick strands of her wild, long, Midnight black, mane. Fury filled his heart briefly at the odd feeling of old scars under his fingertips. Stardust made a soft noise of contentment, leaning into his gentle scratching. The filly was a very sweet horse, and Conrart honestly couldn't understand how anyone could have so horribly abused her.

He'd only had her for 6 months, but he'd become smitten very quickly after acquiring the spirited young horse.

He'd gone with Yuri early one morning to refresh the palace Stables with new blood. The young king had been quite enthusiastic about the venture. Conrad himself had been quite pleased with the opportunity it gave him a chance to teach Yuri about something non-war or self-defense related. He was a warrior, but Tori, Tori truly enjoyed horses, and they both had an eye for horses; just a glance and Tori could tell the difference between a masterpiece of horseflesh, an easy keeper, and an unsound beast.

They'd gone to a well known place three day's ride outside of the city to acquire the horses. The stable was well known for the quality of the mounts it sold and the quality of the care it provided them with before they were ever sold. Finding Stardust tucked into a dark corner covered in caked mud and manure, and looking thin and unhappy had been a truly shocking discovery.

The poor things only companions had been in the form of three swaybacked old nags. Even thin and caked in mud he'd been able to see the animal's beautiful lines. Startled and a little horrified he'd left to find Vincent, the Stable-master.

The little filly's tale had been heart wrenching. She'd apparently been born in these stables and sold off as a yearling to some minor lord for use as his son's pleasure mount, she'd come back less than a year later – obviously abused and mishandled to the point that she feared contact with her handlers. The men had tried rehibilitating her, but everything they'd done had failed miserably. She wouldn't let anyone on her back, chased the stable hands around, bit, and had apparently put no less than 2 new doors in the stable, which explained the unpainted new wood.

The filly had been there for nearly a year and in that time she'd made a rather large dent in the owner's pocket book. Finally annoyed the man had sold her again, for the cost of the damages. Something about the filly had called to him though and while the money for the horses didn't extend to cover one badly abused and disheartened little filly- neither he nor Tori could stand the thought of the poor thing being sold to slaughter. In the end, he paid 6 copper pennies a pound for the filly out of his own pocket. It was the cheapest he'd ever gotten a horse for, it was also double the price she would have fetched from the slaughterhouse.

He'd led the struggling horse home tied to Bane's saddle horn, after arranging for the delivery of the other horses they'd acquired that day. He'd justified the purchase to Gwendal latter by pointing out that even if he was never able to ride the filly, she had beautiful lines, and in a few years time at the very least they could breed her.

He' put her into one of the open paddocks, one with an attached stone open box-stall, and spent the next month trying to gain her trust. Truthfully, it had taken a month for the little filly to stop trying to kill him every time he went to feed her – as such actually washing the mud, muck and grime off the creature was absolutely out of the question.

The first of the rains had come less than a week after she'd stopped chasing him out of the pen, and he'd been very surprised when he'd glanced out of his office window to see the filly standing in the rain. It shouldn't have surprised him, she'd been avoiding the box-stall since the moment she'd been put in the pasture. He'd left the safety of his warm office and gone to the stables, after procuring a length of rope he'd gone out into the paddock to bring the filly into the stall. He'd been completely flabbergasted by her beauty underneath the caked mud.

He'd never know what had happened to the poor horse to make her that afraid of the stables and something as mundane as a stall, but it took him half an hour to get the traumatized creature in out of the rain. In the end, he'd spent the rest of the day and the night in that stall doing his best to comfort the filly.

Fortunately, it had marked a turning point in their relationship. He'd awoken the next morning curled up on his side in the soft clean straw, to the soft velvety caress of the filly's black muzzle against his cheek. Slowly he'd sat up, careful not to startle the poor creature. The filly took a step back and regarded him quietly out of bright blue eyes. He'd been utterly flabbergasted upon discovering that the Blue –eyed horse was actually a beautiful buttermilk coated buckskin, her left foreleg and right hind leg bearing a white sock. In addition to that, she a light spattering of honey colored spots dusted her back and haunches, like the trail left behind by a shooting star. He'd named her Stardust that day.

Four months later, there'd been an assassination attempt on King Yuri, while they'd been out for a long ride through the country side. He'd managed to send Yuri and Ao galloping for home, and had taken down half of their attackers before the Big Shimeron soldiers had managed to take Bane out from under him. His king had escaped but the soldiers had taken pleasure, and comfort in the fact that at least they'd captured and could present their king with the 'Traitorous half-breed Lord Weller."

Conrart could almost feel sorry for the humans the entire Belar line was utterly insane, and the tree of them that survived to return to their king would likely not live long after failing to bring their monarch even a small compensation for his failed plans. Stardust had come charging into their camp – hell on four hooves – and he wasn't sure how but he'd found himself astride her bare back racing further into the forest. It was the first time he'd ever ridden her. The first time she'd had anything more than a blanket on her back.

He'd been taking her for short rides ever since, and slowly over the course of the last few months she'd become the most loyal and decidedly lethal war horse he'd ever ridden. She was brilliant at other things as well; she was light and sure-footed, and excellent at dressage.

It was odd Stardust was the culmination of the one thing his life had always been about – balance. She was everything Conrad could have wanted in a warhorse – bold, brave, intelligent, sure-footed, and willing. She was also everything Tori could have asked for in a pleasure mount – she was beautiful, and had a natural 4-beat gait known either as the rack or as 'single-foot' gait, since only one foot ever touched the ground at a time. It was a very comfortable gait for the rider – particularly over long distances. She was also kind, gentle, and very docile.

However, her docility and gentle sweet nature was extended only to him.

She tolerated Yozak, and outright ignored Yuri and Gwendal – but he was the only one who could ride her. Anyone else who'd ever tried had found out just why he'd nicknamed her Hell on Four Hooves.

Conrad pulled himself up out of the very slight slouch – nothing more prominent then a slight slumping of his shoulders – as he rode across the drawbridge and into the palace courtyard. Ignoring the reins clasped in his hands, he directed Stardust with his knees. He acknowledged the stable hands with a slight nod of his head but otherwise ignored them; Stardust wouldn't allow them to handle her anyway. As usual, she bulked at the sight of the stable doors; he quieted her gently, before dismounting and calmly leading her into her stall.

He talked quietly her as he stripped her of her tack, and brushed out her coat until she shown.

"Conrad," Yuri called from just outside of Stardust's stall.

He looked up from cleaning Stardust's hooves at the sound of his godson and king's voice. "Good morning Yuri, you're up early is everything alright?"

Yuri shrugged his shoulders, he'd come a long way from the boy he'd been six years ago but he was still quite young, still Yuri in everything but a little gained experience.

Yuri laughed and scratched the back of his neck, "actually, please don't take this the wrong way, but I kind a promised Wolfram I'd ask so here goes. Are you taking drugs?"

Conrad couldn't help it he groaned at the mention of his little brother's name. Fist Yozak now Yuri – who else was the brat going to set after him? "No," he said firmly. "I'm not taking drugs."

Yuri nodded, and then sighed as Wolfram popped up beside him and elbowed him in the ribs. Conrad rolled his eyes heaven ward and let Stardust out into the attached paddock that had recently become hers. Absently noticing that Wolfram had slipped into the stall behind him, as he went about filling Stardust's feed-bucket with fresh oats, hay and a bit of the barley the filly loved.

He snorted if his idiot brother wanted to get himself killed that was his problem!

He blinked, _just where had that thought come from?_

"Just to play devil's advocate," Yuri said mildly "Would you care to explain your resent mood swings?"

Conrad Groaned, "They changed the dosage of my medication, it's making me a little moody." He said simply.

"Don't start that again Conrart!" Wolfram yelled getting into Conrad's personal space and poking him in the chest with an accusing finger. "I don't believe you! Now tell me what the hell you are taking so that we can help you!"

It took every ounce of his willpower not to strike his little brother as he shoved him away. The part of him he'd long ago learned to think of as 'Tori' wanted nothing more than to run away crying! Wolfram had ruined everything! The mess he was currently in and what was likely the end of his long and cherished friendship with Yozak was his fault! Now he was trying to turn Yuri against him! It wasn't fair.

Startled by the rise of unwanted emotions he clamped down on Tori and shoved the emotional little sprite into the mental box he usually hid it in. Still the emotional backlash colored his reaction to Wolfram's breach of etiquette.

Furious he shoved his little brother away. "What do you want me to say Wolfram? Would it please you if I actually was taking drugs?"

Wolfram stumbled back a look of utter shock plastered on his pretty face when Conrart advanced on him.

"Great One Wolfram why can't you just drop it? You had to send Yozak of all people after me when all I wanted was to be left the hell alone. God, he's going to hate me after this. Thank you so much I can't even look at my best friend anymore because you've ruined everything. Now this, just drop it!" he continued ignoring the fact that his voice was becoming shrill. "Damn it he's going to hate me!"

"Do you hate me so much that you can't take me at my word when I tell you I'm not on drugs? You don't understand! How can you? Well let me explain this in a way that you can understand. I've been taking medication since before I hit puberty to keep a part of myself under control, and when I failed to hit puberty properly Hormones got added to the rather long list of things I have to swallow every morning! Can you understand that or has it failed to gather your notice that you have to shave the few hairs you've collected over the years every morning and despite being nearly 50 years your senior I still don't even own a razor because I lack the ability to grow a beard?!"

He glared at his little brother, praying that would be enough to make the brat leave him alone before he revealed something else he was utterly humiliated by.

"Then why in the hell are you getting the 'medication' from Anissina and not Gisela?" Wolfram demanded, his tome making it clear he didn't believe a word Conrad had just said.

That was it!

It was time to burst his little brother's extremely sheltered bubble!

"Because mother was afraid they'd kill me, thanks to that stupid law. Either outright or by denying me proper medical attention just like they did with my twin!" that said he turned and stormed past his little brother and his king, noting both Gwendal and Yozak for the first time as he did so.

He felt his ears heat, and blood rush to his face in a fierce blush.

Closing his eyes briefly, he raised his chin and stocked past his sibling and the man he hoped would still give him the time of day after this. He refused to run.

"Conrart" Yozak reached for him as he walked by but he nimbly avoided the other man's grasp, just as he avoided Gwendal's. His elder brother's soft "Tori" brought him up short and he turned to face the man, noting as he did so that Wolfram was quickly escaping Stardust's wrath.

"Please don't call me that." He said simply. "Calling me Tori won't change things, Victoria is still gone, and I have no choice but to adapt."

That said he turned and walked away.

~~~***~~~

Gwendal glanced back and forth between his younger brother's retreating back and the red-haired spy who was supposedly 'going to hate him'; wondering just what could have happened between them to give Conrart that impression. Then he turned his attention briefly to his flabbergasted king. He couldn't blame the boy after all in the 135 years he'd known Conrart he'd rarely seen the man that emotionally illogical.

Then his eyes fell on Wolfram. "I thought I told you to drop the subject Wolfram!" he said sharply fully aware of the fact that this was somehow tied to Wolfram's recent revelation. He didn't wait for Wolfram to respond, but turned on his heel and went after his distraught sibling.

"Did Conrart really have a twin?" Wolfram inquired his voice shaking slightly.

Gwendal paused briefly, "Yes he did, our other sibling died less than a day after their birth."

"What did Conrad mean by he has no choice but to adapt?" Yuri asked carefully.

Gwendal sighed, torn between answering his king's question and going after his little brother. The problem was taken out of his hands a moment later by Yozak as the big spy gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the door.

"Go after Conrart, I'll handle the kiddo's questions, since I highly doubt my presence will do anything to sooth Connie right now. Do me a favor and tell him, he's my best friend and no decision he ever makes will change that." Yozak told him mildly.

Gwendal nodded and headed off in the direction of Conrad's rooms.

~~~***~~~

Yozak sighed, briefly wondering what about their earlier conversation had led Conrart to believe he could ever hate him. Resolving to sit down and have a rational discussion with his best friend in a few weeks when the changed hormone dosage was done playing havoc on Conrad's emotions, he turned his attention back to his boy king.

"Twins are a very rare phenomenon among the demon tribe, kiddo. Actually, we only get one set of twins in every generation. For a human that's about every 20 years, for us it's about once a century. It's even rarer for those Twins to be different genders. The last time that happened was during the Great One's rule. Our history and traditions teach us that twins aren't really two separate people, but rather two halves of one person." Yozak couldn't help it he turned his head and glanced over at the path Conrart had just fled down. He sighed sadly before continuing, "In Shin Makoku it's the epitome of cruelty to separate twins. If Conrad's sibling had been born a boy, their birth would have been celebrated and they would have been treated with a lot more respect then Conrad is given even now. Because of the fact that twins are actually a single soul sharing two bodies, the death of one is debilitating for the sole surviving twin. They adapt to the death in a way that human's can't even begin to fathom."

He paused waiting to make sure Yuri was understood him. "The living twin carries the dead twin within them for the rest of their life."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you telling me that Conrad is carrying the body of his dead twin inside of him 'cause that's just creepy!" Yuri yelped.

Yozak couldn't help it, he snorted trying desperately to suppress his laughter. "No Kiddo, Conrad's soul adapted, and he carries a part of his dead twin sister's soul and personality, along with that any natural gifts she would have had are now Conrart's to wield. For example, he's great with kids, if a little mothering and overprotective. He also embroiders, and you should see his handwriting when he's not making an effort to have it look more masculine – actually it can be downright flowery."

Yuri looked up at him for a moment, his black eyes wide, "So basically Conrad has MPD?" he inquired.

"MPD?" he and Wolfram asked simultaneously.

Yuri sighed, and rubbed gently at his temples, "it stands for Multiple Personality Disorder." He replied quietly, "a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment."

Yozak shook his head, "This is different. 'Tsu no bodei futatsu no tamashii' it's not personalities exactly its souls."

~~~***~~~

Gwendal sighed as he pulled open the door to Conrart's bedroom. He found his younger sibling attempting to smother himself with one of his pillows. Either that or he was attempting to smother the sound of the rather high-pitched shriek he was currently emitting. Gwendal cringed at the sound of his younger brother's shrill cry.

Tori then, Conrart was far to composed to throw an outright tantrum. He had to be, it was a matter of survival.

Resisting the urge to cover his ears he settled himself down on the edge of the bed and gently placed his hand on the small of his brother's back. The shrieking stopped almost instantaneously, and after a second Conrart rolled over, his chest heaving as he tried desperately to regain control of himself. Gwendal could see, he'd been crying.

It broke his heart.

Conrart was a proud man, and Tori – well Tori had never been given a chance to be anything. "Tell me about it?" he said simply after giving his brother a few minutes to get himself fully back under control. It was rare to see Conrart lose control of himself.

Conrart sighed, "If Yuri didn't believe Wolfram before; he must now. Oh Great One, I can't believe I let anyone see me like that! And Yozak, Gwen he's going to hate me! I- I don't think I can handle that! He's going to hate me!" By the end of his mini-rant, he had his pillow pressed against his face in a manner that made it look like he was attempting to smother himself.

Gwendal patted Conrad's leg gently and pried the offending pillow out of his brother's grasp. "Yuri doesn't think you're on drugs. Albeit he's probably a bit worried about the state of your sanity after the tantrum you threw earlier. As for Yozak, he could never hate you."

Conrart snorted as he pulled himself up into a seated position.

"I'm serious, actually he asked me to tell you that you're his best friend and that no decision you ever make will change that. So you want to tell me what happened between the two of you, to make you believe that you're best friend could ever hate you?"

His younger sibling sighed and leaned against him, seeking silent comfort. "Yozak told me he likes me. Or rather, he likes Conrart. Oh Great One this is such a mess!"

"What did you tell him?" Gwendal asked, well aware of his younger sibling's feelings for Yozak.

"I- I told him I couldn't start a relationship under false pretenses and asked him to just let it go." Conrart replied simply.

Gwendal had to admit that startled him, he would have thought Conrart would have jumped at the chance, that the young man would have seen it as a 'dream come true'. The look Conrart gave him when he voiced that thought, was incredulous.

"Do you have any idea what it feels like to be in a love triangle with yourself?" he asked sharply. "Tori loves Yozak, and Yozak loves Conrad or who he thinks I am, but not who I really am because he doesn't really know the real me. How can he when I don't even know the real me?! Great One, I'm in a love triangle with myself and one of me doesn't even really exist! You know the best part? I don't even know which one of us isn't real anymore!" that said Conrart flopped backwards onto the bed and covered his face with his hands.

"I hate that stupid law! If it wasn't for that stupid law I wouldn't be going through this! My Twin would still be alive, and one of us would likely be courting Yozak and none of this would be happening! Wolfram wouldn't think I'm on drugs and Yozak wouldn't hate me!" he continued quietly.

Gwendal sighed and patted his little brother's thigh, "things aren't that bad, and I know it seems like the end of the world, but this will pass. As for King Slaughter's law, Yuri is working to have it overturned. Günter and I just finished drafting it actually. We've both signed it so all we need is the Maou's signature and the signatures of two more heads of the 10 noble families. This will all be over soon."

Conrart sighed. "Good I'm glad; the change in the law will be great for Hube and Nicola, and their family. As for me and Victoria, that ship has long since gone out to sea. The law won't change anything for me, my twin is still dead and I still don't know who the hell Tori actually is. But it will be nice to know that Nicola won't have to fear for her children."

Gwendal decided to leave his little brother alone to think about things for now. Once the law was over turned they'd be having another talk, but for now he'd leave his little brother be.

~~~***~~~

AN.

Sorry for the arduously long wait, work and school got in the way. Read and review please. It gives my muse a cup of coffee… now where is that Starbucks card? Here gift card, gift card, gift card.

Ooh, sausage! AWOOoooooOOOOoooooOOooooooo

Sambi's Note

Incase you were wondering, Tsu no bodei futatsu no tamashii = Two souls in one body


	5. Chapter 5

Gwendal sighed, and rubbed his brow. It had been almost three day's since the unfortunate incident that had led to Conrart's rather atypically illogical conclusion that Yozak hated him. Ironically Conrart's stubborn streak was currently working against him, as the man was currently being rather obstinate in his decision to avoid his best friend like a plague. Actually the young man was currently avoiding them all – Yuri included.

It was distinctly unlike Conrad.

They'd all noticed, and even a very subdued Wolfram was currently tiptoeing around the obviously distressed young man.

He gazed out the window at his little brother and found Conrart slipping into one of the greenhouses a book held lightly in one hand. He knew exactly where Tori was going, whenever he was highly distressed Conrart would vanish into their mother's green house and disappear, under the hanging vine plants.

He shook his head, and closed his eyes; they only needed one more signature on the new law for it to pass into effect. Yuri had rather sweetly asked Stoffel to sign the new law – and the man had done it, without even bothering to read it.

Soon, very soon he was going to have to pull his younger sibling aside and have a very serious conversation with him. For now, he thought it might be better if he took some of the edge off of Conrad's emotional state. In order to do that he needed to put some distance between Conrart and what was causing his distress. However while Conrart was taking long rides with Stardust through the countryside, there was only so much that that could do and it wasn't like he could send Conrad away. Although the possibility had been brought up, at this point Conrart was likely to take it entirely the wrong way.

That would do more harm than good.

While he couldn't send the King and Wolfram away, Yozak at least was under his control.

Mostly.

Calmly he summoned a page and had the young boy go and fetch the red-haired spy.

It didn't take long for Yozak to arrive, his chin held high and his back ramrod straight. The man stood before him, calmly waiting his instructions.

For a moment he couldn't believe he was actually about to ask this of his best spy – but in the interest of his little brother's mental health – he would do what he must.

"First of all, you are not in trouble," he told Yozak mildly. "However I do believe that Conrart might benefit from the two of you having some space. As such, I am sending you out on an assignment that I would normally reserve for someone whose talents weren't so useful.

~~~***~~~

Yozak packed quickly for his quick trip, he'd be gone for only a few days, and if he found anything dangerous on this trip he'd keel over and die of surprise. After all it's not like he was picking up a man eating package. He snorted at the thought and locked his rooms behind himself as he left. Nobody was likely to bother coming in here while he was away, but it was a force of habit, and one he didn't bother trying to counter.

What was the point?

Calmly he made his way into the stables and began to tack up his mount. Idly he noticed that Conrart's stardust was missing, and he wondered just when the man had left the sanctuary of the greenhouse, before putting thoughts of his beloved best friend out of his mind. Conrad had turned him down and he was trying to move on, trying to force himself not to further investigate the 'false pretenses' Conrart had mentioned – so far he wasn't doing so well with that. Not that his investigations had turned up anything interesting.

Groaning he pulled himself into his saddle and set off. For now he'd keep to the main road. After all, it wasn't like stealth was currently required.

~~~***~~~

Conrad crouched closer to Stardust's mane and tried not to get up close and personal with the branches above him as he carefully tailed Yozak.

The man had left without so much as a good bye or even an acknowledgement. It hurt, because confirmed his worst suspicion and fear. Yozak, his best and closest friend hated him! It was heart-rending, and it made him want to cry, but still he didn't know what he hoped to accomplish by following the other man.

Rather abruptly, he realized he'd lost track of his friend.

Cursing under his breath, he directed Stardust out of the thicket and onto the game trail Yozak had been following. Finding no noticeable trace of the spy he dismounted; clutching the reigns in one hand, he set about scrutinizing the ground for traces of his friend. He followed Yozak's trail on foot for a moment before they suddenly turned off the game trail and vanished into thin air.

Annoyed he cast about for any sign of the other man.

Distracted by his search he failed to notice the man coming up behind him.

The sound of a throat clearing drew his attention from the hard packed dirt floor to his mildly amused friend's face.

"Conrart, what are you doing?" Yozak asked

He felt heat rushing through his face, across the back of his neck and finally reaching his ears at the other man's simple enquiry. He cast about franticly for something to make this somehow less humiliating and awkward. "Nothing, I just lost track of the ... fox I'm following."

"You're hunting foxes?" Yozak asked, raising one finely arched brow.

Conrart blinked, trying to find whatever flaw in his story Yozak had obviously found but coming up empty. "Yes," he replied after a moment's silence.

Now Yozak crossed his arms over his chest giving him a look that made him feel like a small child caught with his hand on his father's sword. "Try again, and this time the truth would be nice." Yozak said blandly in a tone that clearly said he didn't believe a word he'd just said.

"What?" Conrart replied utterly bewildered.

Yozak simply smirked at him, and leaned forward in his saddle. "So in other words you're poaching?" he asked cheekily.

Conrart sputtered, "What are you talking about?" he asked after a second.

"One, it's not fox season; thus hunting them would be termed poaching. Two, the tip of your left eyebrow twitches ever so slightly whenever you lie. So would you like to tell me the truth this time?" Yozak replied, his eyes shining with suppressed mirth.

"I – why in the hell are you running away? You want to answer that one?" Conrart replied sharply, anger and humiliation getting the better of him.

Yozak's already raised eyebrow twitched, "I'm hardly running away, Conrart." He replied.

Conrad snorted derisively, before replying, "Oh, really? Then why are you leaving the palace? I'm still kept abreast of all military and tactical maneuvers, and since you are still technically one of my men your movements are still something I'm briefed on in case you need an alibi. So if you're not running away because you hate me would you care to tell me exactly where you're going?"

"First of all, whatever Anissina gave you, has made you overly paranoid. Secondly, I'm picking up a package for Gwendal." Yozak retorted.

"You expect me to believe, that you've been demoted to mail carrier?" Conrart snapped angrily.

Yozak's reply was indignant, "I'm not a mail carrier, I'm simply picking up a parcel for Gwendal, and _YOU _are avoiding the question! What are you doing out here?"

Conrart sputtered not exactly sure how to answer that, after all Yozak already hated him, how would it look to the man if he was so needy that he had to follow him? Why was he following him anyway? "If you don't know then I certainly am not going to tell you!" he replied sharply, before swinging up into Stardust's saddle and taking off like a shot arrow back to the castle.

Great One, what the hell was the matter with him?!

~~~***~~~

Yozak rubbed his temple as he watched Conrart disappear. Just what was Anissina giving him anyway? Oh well, it didn't matter, he was still Conrad. No matter how crazy he was acting.

He sighed, he'd check up on Conrad when he got back in a few days. Hopefully, by then Conrad's moods would have worked themselves back out. If not, well he might have to talk to Gisela.

~~~***~~~

Yuri smiled, as of today the law banning the execution of female half-demons was in effect. Lord von Wincott had also added his signature, giving him the power to officially rescind the ancient, repugnant law. Now Nicola and Hube wouldn't have to worry about their child and any female half-demons who'd survived the unjust law could come out of hiding. Assuming there actually were any survivors. He honestly didn't know how they could have survived this long – but hopefully there were a few out there still.

Idly he wondered whether Conrad had picked up his medicine yet. If memory served, the man should be paying a visit to Anissina within the next week. He sighed, Conrad was still avoiding them all, and he was spending an inordinate amount of time down in the comb of late.

He hoped the man snapped out of his funk soon, this just wasn't like his Godfather.

He was worried.

Seriously worried, and Wolfram's insistence that Conrad was on some form of drug, honestly wasn't helping.

~~~***~~~

Gwendal smiled as he left his office. That horrible law – which had stolen his little sister from him so long ago – had finally been rescinded. It was time he had a long talk with his younger sibling. Conrart needed to be told. It was time the living twin was allowed to move on, and to truly live a life free of that damn law, and it's ever reaching affects.

Smiling he made his way down to his little brother's office and knocked on the door… predictably there was no answer. Sighing in annoyance he waited.

And waited,

Finally perturbed he pushed open the door and found himself gazing into Conrart's office.

His empty office.

Groaning he turned and headed for his brother's quarters.

~~~***~~~

Gwendal glared at his little brother's closed door. He'd been standing here for the past hour! Finally annoyed he turned and headed in the direction of the servant's entrance since the door was locked.

Finally, after fifteen minutes he pushed open the small servants' door in the wall and slipped into the room, making a mental note to tell the maids to clean down there – the cobwebs where shameful!

Looking around he realized the four-room suit was empty; actually, it looked like Conrart hadn't been here for days.

Grumbling under his breath, he made his way over to the wardrobe and threw it open. As expected Conrart's 'shadow clothing' was missing.

He was down in the comb.

Again

Annoyed beyond all words he left in search of his brother.

~~~***~~~

Conrart sighed as he made his way up out of the comb, he didn't want to but it was time to rejoin the land of the living. He blinked as the light changed and briefly considered disappearing back into the comb when he saw his brother waiting for him. However a strong hand closing firmly over his bicep effectively cutoff his retreat, with a sigh he turned and pulled the lever that slid the suit of armor back into place – closing the hidden door he'd just come through.

"What can I do for you, Gwendal?" he asked with a sigh.

Gwendal gave him a look that was equally worried and annoyed. "For starters you can stop running away from your problems." He said firmly.

He decided not to comment.

~~~***~~~

Conrart began to change as soon as they were back in his rooms, he had no reason to be body shy, this was his elder brother, and he'd been in the military long enough that the idea of stripping in a public place while not exactly appealing wasn't appalling.

"So the law has been rescinded." He said mildly, "that's good, at least now Nicola and Hube have nothing to fear."

Gwendal sighed "Conrart, the law being rescinded has other affects, on you."

"It's too late for that Gwendal," Conrart replied solemnly. "You know it, and I know it. For me that ship has sailed."

"You could finally settle down, be yourself – and give mother the grandbabies she's been pestering me for." Gwendal retorted.

Conrart couldn't help smiling at the thought of little children running around. It was true if he married he wouldn't have to worry about any of the children he sired. But he sighed, and let his smile fall. "Men can't get pregnant, and I'm not going to marry a woman just so that I can have children. It wouldn't be fair – to either of us. Not with my tastes being what they are."

Gwendal glared at him, "that is not what I meant Tori, and you know it." He said firmly.

"I understand you perfectly Gwendal, but it is not going to happen, I- I wouldn't know how. Besides, there's no point to it, not after this long."

"Just think about it Tori," Gwendal replied with an exhausted sigh.

Conrad rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Please, don't call me that." He said after a moment. "It won't bring Victoria back, nothing will."

~~~***~~~

Conrad glared into his cup of whisky, he was not having a good weak. His stomach was currently tying itself in knots and he would be extremely surprised if he could keep anything down. His body ached and this was only the beginning. He'd gone to Anissina this morning to get more of the damned goo he had to drink only to be told that Anissina was ending the experiment, apparently it was more useful to see the effects of him going completely off his medication. She wasn't going to be helping him anymore. That was the end of it apparently; she wasn't going to be making him the goo or the pills.

The first of the withdrawal symptoms had already set in and he had to admit he was terrified. It was very painful and he'd already appealed to Gisela in desperation.

That hadn't gone over very well –

Granted it had been entirely irrational of him to storm into Gisela's office and demand that she order Anissina to give him his medication. It had actually sparked an hour long conversation that he knew made him sound very much like a drug addict. Finally Gisela had demanded to know what the hell he was talking about and after learning that Anissina had been giving him medication for nearly a century she'd ordered him to 'sit and stay' before stalking off to find Anissina.

That hadn't ended as he hoped.

Not at all.

She'd dragged Anissina into her office and demanded to know exactly what she was giving him and the three of them had wound up in a rather loud argument. His ears had already been ringing and it made him feel as if his head was going to explode!

To make matters worse, the two women had ganged up on him and he'd ended up having to surrender all of his remaining pills to Gisela.

Infuriated he'd broken a pitcher of water that had been on her desk before storming out of her office and fleeing into the city.

He was ashamed of his loss of control, but he was also in so much pain right now that he just wanted to curl up and die.

Everything hurt.

His every joint ached, and his stomach was rolling.

He couldn't handle this

It was too much

He'd die if he had to endure a week and a half of this!

The alcohol at least was helping, even if it was only taking the edge off the pain.

Groaning in annoyance he called for another pitcher, and poured the last of his drink into his mug.

Downing it all in a single gulp, completely oblivious to the predatory gaze following his every move from a few tables over.

~~~***~~~

Yozak sighed as he entered the tavern and made his way to an out-of-the-way corner where he could sit with his back to the wall and see everything. He'd just come back from picking up that parcel for Gwendal, and discovered that the law had been rescinded. This was a very good thing. However, he'd also discovered that the time away apparently hadn't done anything to help Conrart.

If anything, he'd gotten worse!

Honestly, he couldn't imagine Conrad throwing a temper tantrum in Gisela's office because he wasn't getting his way.

However, Conrart was doing a lot of things he'd never expected him to do lately.

He'd found out that Gwendal was sending him out again in the morning, this time to find the few small, hidden villages on Weller lands where the population was made up only of half-breeds, their parents and offspring. It seemed the job of telling his own kind the good news was falling to his shoulders.

Not that he minded, but it meant he wasn't going to be able to see Conrart for at least another week and a half.

He'd gone to his friend's rooms in hopes of finding him and asking him to come out with him, as a way of showing that there were no hard feelings between them but Conrart was missing and since Stardust was still in her paddock, he knew the man was probably in the comb again.

"Le' me go!" Conrart's voice or rather its drunken slur caught his attention and pulled him out of his thoughts.

There was a man sitting next to his obviously less then sober friend. As he watched, the man sighed and left; Conrart annoyed shook his head and poured himself more of whatever he was drinking. Yozak sighed, he doubted Conrart would get to drunk, but he vowed to keep an eye on the other man.

Just in case.

~~~***~~~

He was nursing his second glass when Mr. Wandering-Hands made his way back to Conrart's table.

_Good luck with that Mister_,he thought with a purely mental snort. _If Conrart ever agrees to do anything with you, I'll die of shock._

However as he watched the man's hands wandered and while Conrart batted at them weakly he didn't seem particularly adverse to the man's attentions. For a while he just watched, knowing with an unwavering certainty that Conrart would never come out here alone and get drunk enough to be in any danger.

_Apparently, I'm wrong! _He thought as he shot to his feet and went to rescue his royally drunk friend Mr. Wandering-Hands – the bastard son of a goat – had somehow managed to get Conrart to his feet and was attempting to lead the staggering, barely standing man out of the tavern. While still allowing his hand's to travel the front of Conrart's pants! Conrart was still batting rather ineffectively at the man's inappropriately placed hands and attempting to pull away. Despite all this the man shot a glance at the men he'd been drinking with, and waggled his eyebrows – while they all made lurid gestures and shouted obscenities about meeting up and sharing the 'nice piece of tail'.

Mr. Wandering-Hands laughed and told the others of where to meet him as soon as they had a good 'piece of tail' to bring to the table and turned around.

Just in time to have Yozak's fist get acquainted with his face.

Yozak caught Conrart as he fell and pulled him close, noting for the first time the _five_ pitchers on the table.

He swore. Conrart reeked of alcohol!

Mr. Wandering-Hands came at him, armed with a terracotta pot. Yozak dodged and bit back a curse as he dragged a staggering Conrart with him. The pot hit him on the shoulder and shattered. Annoyed he grabbed the first thing that came to his hand and smashed it across Mr. Wandering-Hands' exposed back sending him to the floor.

Dropping the remnants of the ruined chair, he dug into his coin purse and set several pieces of gold onto the table. It was more than enough to pay for the chair, and both his and Conrart's tabs. He then dragged Conrad out of the tavern, and into the street. Where Conrart promptly tripped and fell on his rump, cursing the entire time in a tongue that was acidic enough to take the varnish from the tables – assuming the facility hadn't been to cheep to varnish them.

Briefly, Yozak considered embarrassing the hell out of his friend by carrying him. Conrart however put a stop to that by gazing up at him with that damned look and giving him a sheepish smile.

"Um… Yoz, I don't think I'm going to get back without help." He finally confessed.

"That makes my life so much easier, Conny," Yozak replied with a sigh. "I was afraid I'd either have to fight with you the whole way home, or knock you out and carry you back to Covenant Castle like a sack of potatoes." Carefully he lifted his sloshed friend to his feet, and pulled one of Conrart's arms over his shoulders and slipped his own around the other man's slim waist.

The good part was that Conrad wasn't apt to get into too much trouble after drinking himself stupid, the bad part was that Conrart was a hundred and fifty-six pound dead weight to carry someplace safe or a giggling flirting mess.

Together they made the normally thirty minute walk – in this case hour long stagger – back to the Castle; Conrart making cute, drunk noises, that Yozak found alternated between endearing and damned annoying, the vast majority of the way back.

Particularly, when the drunken man's hands started to wander and he started to confess his undying love and devotion – while playing with the neckline of Yozak's shirt.

At length they reached a small side gate and stumbled through it under the astonished gazes of the two guards on duty. Yozak was abruptly reminded of the fact that aside from Gwendal and himself nobody, had ever seen Conrart drink anything stronger then wine or a glass of Champaign –

- Let alone out right sloshed!

He nodded to the guards in passing, right as Conrart –giggling like a loon – raised his pointer finger and bid the guards to 'carry on.'

Yozak paused and reached for Conrart's wrist, as the other man's arm slipped slightly from around his shoulders. Conrad's knees abruptly buckled, causing him to stagger to the side, and overbalanced. Somehow, he sent them both crashing to the floor in an undignified heap.

Yozak's cursing harmonizing oddly with his best friend and captain's drunken giggling.

With the help of the two guards, Yozak finally got them both to their feet, cursing Conrart for an inebriated fool, swearing never to let him drink that much again; and promising a painful death to either of the guards should word of this indignity find its way into the palace gossip mill.

It took him a full fifteen minutes longer than usual to get not only himself, but also his royally drunk friend across the courtyard and into the castle itself. This was mostly (cough, entirely, cough) do to the fact that Conrart simply _had_ to stop and smell every _damned_ flower and play with the water from _every_ ornamental fountain along the way!

He'd managed to get them safely up no less than six flights of stairs, past the servants quarters, somehow avoid the few guards patrolling the castle, and onto the floor were his own suite of rooms were housed, and was looking forward to a long walk down the corridor until he reached yet another staircase. Thankfully, the last such staircase he would have to navigate before reaching Conrart's quarters, when it happened.

Conrart went limp in his arms; leaving him attempting to hold up all 156 (plus the damned sword) pounds of his now passed out best friend.

Yozak cursed, there was absolutely no way he was going to be able to get Conrart up that flight of stairs and into his own bed. Unless he gave his 135 year old friend a piggyback ride – and he didn't think Conrart's reputation and dignity would survive that. Of course, he could always carry the man bridal style, but that had problems of its own.

After some consideration, he simply decided to let his inebriated friend sleep it off in his rooms since they were closer, and had the additional benefit of not being in a different wing and on a different floor of the palace.

~~~***~~~

Maneuvering the two of them into his room past the doorframe had been a test in and of itself, as he had to do so without dropping Conrart or banging his friend into anything. Nevertheless, he finally managed to get the slightly younger man, out of his boots, jacket, and his shirt, somehow managed to remove his sword and belt altogether, before tucking the man into bed and maneuvering him onto his side.

Utterly exhausted by the night's (or was it morning's) escapades, he stripped himself of boots, sword-belt and tunic before climbing into bed after his friend.

~~~***~~~

Conrart woke abruptly and, without even opening his eyes, immediately noticed that things simply were not right. He was most defiantly _NOT _in his own bed! The predawn light was coming in from the wrong angle and direction for these to be his rooms. The bed was soft, however, and since his head ached something awful, he was perfectly able to put two and two together and come up with the fact that he'd been drunk last night. He moved slightly, going stiff at the heavy weight that rested across his slim hips and the distinctive warmth at his back.

Oh Great One help him, he was in bed with someone!

He desperately tried to remember the night before but he was drawing a major blank; he'd gone out without Yozak – that however, was all he remembered.

"Stop freaking," a sleepy voice murmured from behind him. "It's just me… and you still have your pants on."

"Yozak," Conrart gasped, going limp with relief.

Whimpering piteously, he rolled over, and buried his face in the familiar (and solid) warmth of Yozak's shoulder.

He shivered, and snuggled closer to his friend, as said friend's arm wrapped more tightly about his body holding him firmly.

Just how much had he had to drink anyway? Idly he wondered just when Yozak, started running his fingers up and down his spine in a light caress that threatened to make other portions of his anatomy stand at attention. He moaned in a way that had little to do with the fact that he currently felt like a herd of horses were tap-dancing across his skull.

He snuggled closer, not caring about potential consequences just then, and ground his growing erection into his friend's hip.

"Want you." He breathed reaching between them for Yozak's pants.

"Forgive me," Yozak whispered, abruptly pulling away. "I forget myself, and last night apparently is not yet entirely done with you."

Conrart whimpered almost inaudibly at the sodden loss of the comforting contact, and pressed himself against Yozak again. Grinding into him, "please," he whimpered.

"No," Yozak managed around a groan, as Conrart's wandering hands brushed a rather sensitive part of his anatomy. Adding, "You'll thank me when you're sober," at Conrart's persistent whine.

~~~***~~~

Much to Yozak's dismay, Conrart kept right on trying to get into his pants, and was making not giving in and pounding him into the mattress very, _very_ difficult! He tried his best to exercise patience with his inebriated friend but it was becoming harder and harder to deal with. Particularly since Conrart's rather blatant attempts where getting more and more bold. So far the man had tried sliding his hands down his pants and ducking under the covers to do the Great One only knows what!

Yozak was enjoying the slight reprieve from his friend's drunken attempts at seduction, when Conrart decided to try something new. Before he'd quite realized it, the man was straddling his waist and calmly kissing and licking his way down his chest.

That was it!

If he didn't put a stop to this now he was going to end up fucking the other man!

Taking a deep breath and reminding himself rather firmly that over a century of friendship was far more important than his carnal urges, he pushed Conrart away. However, his friend was apparently drunker then he thought because his little shove toppled the other man and he landed unceremoniously on his ass on the floor.

Where he promptly passed back out.

Grumbling in annoyance at the absurdity of it all, he carefully scooped Conrart up and tucked him back into bed.

His erection throbbed, demanding his immediate attention.

He was defiantly not getting anymore sleep… but he had to get going in an hour or two anyway so he supposed it wasn't that much of a loss.

~~~***~~~

Conrart woke abruptly and, without even opening his eyes, immediately noticed that things simply were not right. He was most defiantly _NOT _in his own bed! The late afternoon light was coming in from the wrong angle and direction for these to be his rooms. The bed was soft, however, and since his head ached something awful, he was perfectly able to put two and two together and come up with the fact that he'd been drunk last night. He moved slightly, going stiff at the weight that rested across his slim hips and cried out at the sharp pain in his lower back, before noticing the warmth at his back.

Oh Great One help him, he was in bed with someone!

He desperately tried to remember the night before but he was drawing a major blank.

Conrart groaned and opened his eyes. Only to close them again, as the light lanced through them and into his brain as pinpoints of agony. His stomach rebelled almost violently and he _narrowly _avoided being sick right then and there. Whimpering piteously, he rolled over, and buried his face in the familiarly scented pillow that he'd somehow mistaken for a person, sighing in relief as he realized that the odd weight across his hips was the comforter, apparently he'd kicked the blankets off last night.

He shivered, and snuggled closer to what he now realized was Yozak's pillow.

Just how much had he had to drink last night anyway? If the intensity of the pain was anything to go by he'd say he'd had a lot! Combined with the fact that his mouth tasted like something had crawled into it and died, and his throat felt as if he'd inhaled sand; he would have staked money that he'd downed an entire keg! The fact that he couldn't remember anything about last night past entering a somewhat seedy establishment without his best friend only backed his assumption.

He was still trying to remember last night and trying to warp his mind around the fact that his ass hurt when he was struck by a violent wave of nausea that had him clamping a hand over his mouth and bolting for the privy. He only _just_ made it in time.

It was official, He Was _NEVER _Drinking Again!

Moaning he sat up noting as he did so his pants… thankfully he was still wearing them, however they were alarmingly unbuttoned. He knelt there in front of the privy bowl and tried to remember the night before. After what seemed like an eternity, things started to come slowly back to him starting with the man at the tavern the one Yozak had saved him from…

He was going to be sick –

And it had absolutely nothing to do with the copious amounts of alcohol he'd imbibed!

After vomiting what little else was in his stomach he sat up again and noticed a glass of water sitting on the counter a note written in Yozak's hand propped against it read: 'Drink this – it will help.'

Moaning he did as the note instructed, gargling his first mouthful and spitting it out into the privy-bowl, before actually downing what was left of the cup.

Sighing in resignation as he remembered more of what a complete fool he'd made out of himself, he made his way back into the bedroom.

He blinked noticing the tray on the nightstand for the first time. A small hunk of bread, and a bowl of broth, shared space with a small packet of herbs and a mug of now cold water, another note sat propped against the mug. Groaning he picked up the offending paper and began to read.

"_Eat the soup, it will settle your stomach, steep the tea and drink it - that should help you hangover. And just in case you're wondering, nothing happened last night – much to your drunken dismay._

_Yozak"_

Conrart groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed before attempting to smother himself with a covenant pillow!

_This so could not be happening!_

_~~~***~~~_

Gisela sighed as she gazed down at Conrart, or rather Tori, his oddly beautiful face was contorted in agony despite the fact that she'd rendered him unconscious with her magic a full three days ago. She didn't dare give him anything for the pain, right now, not when he'd been dependent on Anissina's 'medication' for so long.

What she'd been giving him had been mostly steroids and something else she didn't understand and honestly didn't want to understand. It was extremely dangerous and she knew that while it had kept her friend alive the consequence of coming off of it was extreme pain. She didn't dare give him anything until all of it was out of his system. His body had to begin producing its own hormones and steroids again. Anissina's medical experiment had kept him alive, but now it was time for her friend to actually live and in order to do that they had to get the drugs out of his system.

She'd been at Conny's side for three days, only leaving to sleep or when an emergency called her away.

Slowly the agony melted away to be replaced with a look of mild pain. Sighing in relief she watched as the last of the changes brought about by the cleansing of his system of Anissina's goo took place. Smiling gently at the obvious changes, she gave her old friend a cursory examination before pulling the covers back up around the now peacefully sleeping form on the bed.

She set two fingers against her friend's temple and focused her magic out and down, lifting her forced coma, and allowing Conny to slip into an actual sleep. She'd be back to give her friend a thorough examination once they'd both rejoined the land of the living.

Smiling she left the room, in the morning she'd prescribe the half-demon a new dose of hormone pills, this time without the adverse side effects of Anissina's concoction.

~~~***~~~

Yozak yawned as he handed the reins of his stallion over to one of the stable hands. It was late, so late it was early, and he still had to report to Gwendal. Maybe then he'd speak with Conrart if the man was up. Which seeing as it was less than two hours till dawn, he knew his over active friend would be.

Smiling he made his way up to Gwendal's office to give his report.

~~~***~~~

Gwendal glanced up as Yozak entered his office the man smiled softly at him. "I reached the furthest most village just in time for the births of the first ever set of half-demon twin girls. Their mother was in tears when I told them the news of the law being rescinded. The entire village is celebrating their birth. That brings the total of surviving half-demon females up to seven."

"Eight," Gwendal interrupted without thinking about it.

"Eight," Yozak corrected absently, "not a one of them past puberty, the children seemed to be rather glad to finely stop pretending to be boys. Thankfully they all had been given rather gender-neutral names so none of them have to get used to new names or anything like that. Wait, eight?"

Gwendal offered the energetic spy a small smile, "Let's just say, there has been another female half-demon living a lot closer to home - within the capital city actually."

Yozak nodded, and offered him a small smile, "I'd like to meet the girl, hear her story, I may actually enjoy pretending to be a woman from time to time but I can't imagine how hard it would be to live like that. Which is exactly what these children had to do, live their lives as boys – I mean. At least they're all alive."

"Yozak, when Con- when your friend wakes up – I'm sure your presence and support would be greatly appreciated," Gwendal said by way of dismissal.

Yozak blinked then smiled, it looked like Conrart had finally snapped out of his funk.

~~~***~~~

A blood curdling scream echoing down the hall form Conrart's rooms, snapped Yozak out of his thoughts. He broke into an all out run, that wasn't a scream he'd ever heard before. Conrart would never scream like that and the screech itself was distinctly female.

The screaming was a shrill background noise when he reached his friend's doors. Without even stopping to think, he threw the doors open and barged in, hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Only to find a naked woman sitting up in Conrart's bed shrieking at the top of her ample lungs.

Utterly bewildered, he grabbed Conrart's robe and hastily wrapped it around the woman's shoulders. "Miss?" he asked softly trying to get the obviously terrified woman's attention.

After a few minutes he succeeded in getting the now hyperventilating woman's attention. She looked up at him out of very familiar brown, silver-flecked eyes. "Yozak?" she whimpered.

He swore as he recognized the now softer plains of the slightly too long to be considered heart shaped face, the softly falling waves of just slightly to long to be considered military short mahogany colored hair, the delicately arching eyebrows, and the tell tale scar through the right eyebrow. "Conrart?" he asked completely unnecessarily.

Whimpering Conrart buried his - her - face in his chest and began to sob. She was nearly hysterical, as she explained the fact that Anissina had stopped giving her the goo that had made her physically male and that Gisela had agreed and nobody seemed to care what she wanted, they'd all just decided that it was time she lived her life as the woman she should have been and not as the man she'd been raised as. And damn it she didn't want to because, "I can't be a woman, I don't know how!" That said, she dissolved into near hysterical tears again.

Through it all, he held his now female best friend, whispering words of comfort and did his best to reassure her that everything was going to be all right. He was careful though not to slip into old habits and call his friend Captain or Conrad, or even by the given Conrart, instead he kept firmly to his childhood nickname for his best friend, besides Right now Conny seemed to fit better then Conrart did.

~~~***~~~

A.N. sorry for the long wait, tell me what you all think the next chapter should be coming soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Yozak had only just managed to calm his hysterical, and now somehow female, friend down when Gisela turned up. She offered him a small smile and welcomed him home from his trip before ordering him out of the room, so she could examine the young woman in his arms. Conrart clung to him and curled up tightly against him. Gently he reassured his friend that he would be back soon, before getting up and leaving the room. For a few minutes he simply leaned against the wall outside Conrad's rooms and tried to wrap his head around this utterly bewildering turn of events. Then he turned on his heel and headed for Gwendal's office.

He didn't even bother knocking he simply shoved the doors open and walked in. Slamming his palm down onto Gwendal's desk with a sharp thud, he met the other man's indigo gaze with his own ice blue one, and didn't even give the other man time to react to his extremely rude entrance.

"Would you please explain to me how and why my best friend is currently a woman? What the hell did Anissina do to him this time?" he demanded sharply.

Gwendal sighed, "Come with me." He said simply, and left the room.

Startled Yozak could only follow the other man through the palace.

At length they came to an ancient suit of armor, standing in alcove, and backed by a stain glass window. Gwendal turned and looked at him then, "do not come down here on your own if you have any wish to see the sunlight again. The only reason you will be allowed to leave the Comb now is because you come in the company of a member of the Royal Family. Do you understand?"

Yozak inclined his head and watched quietly as Gwendal pulled the sword halfway out of the scabbard attached to the suit of armor and felt around for something with his other hand. Abruptly the floor groaned and he slid the blade home, stepping back out of the way as the armor and it's stand slid to the side, reveling a hidden trapdoor.

Silently he followed Gwendal down into the depths of the palace's secret passageways until the stonework shifted first to alabaster then to black marble. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Yozak they entered the Royal Crypts.

Yozak looked around startled and impressed despite himself; he'd never seen the Crypts before. Gwendal lead him down through the labyrinth of tombs, until they came to a chamber bearing the mark of the 26th Maoh. He continued into the chamber, and stopped before a single grave marker that bore two names. Almost reverently, he removed the marble cover, and carefully pulled out a small urn.

"This," Gwendal said quietly, handing him the impossibly small urn, "is my little brother. The 'boy' you grew up with and the 'man' you know today is in fact my baby sister."

Yozak cradled the urn carefully in one hand. "Why? How? I don't understand."

The look on Gwendal's face when he answered was one of sorrow. "When Conrad and Victoria where born, mother begged the healers to spare the life of her baby girl, but they would not. The healers did however consent to giving her extra time to say her good-byes. Mother and Tori's father decided that they would not allow the healers to execute one of their children. It was decided that Dan Hiri would take Tori away and raise her on his own, and mother would keep and raise Conrart. Mother would say that he'd stolen the child. She was willing to never be a part of her child's life, if it meant her baby girl would have a chance to live. They knew Dan Hiri couldn't be seen taking their daughter, but figured no one would find anything amiss with him taking his son for a walk. So they dressed the twins in identical clothing and swaddled them in matching blue blankets. However something happened and my brother stopped breathing. Mother was terrified, and Tori, was shoved into my arms and the healers sent for."

Gwendal had tears running down his cheeks as he took back the little urn. "When they saw the twins they realized what mother had planned, and they said that the Great One was making his will known. That the girl child would die. They didn't even bother to check to make sure it was the right child, they simply slit my brother's throat, and left. With Conrart dead and the healers believing him to be Victoria, mother decided to pretend her daughter was her son, and so Tori was raised as a boy. Anissina discovered the secret when Tori was 6, and somehow, about 7 years before you two met, she found a way to make her physically male." Carefully he put the little urn back where it belonged. "Now thanks to Yuri, I finally have my little sister back."

Yozak sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "there's just one problem." He said sadly. "Your little sister self identifies as a male."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Gwendal demanded sharply.

Yozak raised one ruddy brow at the other man's tone. "Conrart just spent the last hour sobbing hysterically in my arms Gwendal. He kept repeating the fact that none of you gave a damn about what he wanted, you all simply decided he should be female without bothering to ask him how he felt about it. He also said 'I can't be a woman, I don't know how,' several times. He's scared, and he has no idea how he's going to do this. Do you have any concept of what you're putting your younger b- sibling through right now? You helped to raise Conrart – don't interrupt me." He snapped sharply when Gwendal tried to correct his name usage.

"I'm perfectly well aware of the fact that Connie was born as Victoria, but she was raised as Conrart, she's never had the chance to be Victoria, and frankly she's had the name Conrart for 135 years! It's up to her if she wants to change it and use her birth name. You owe her that much at least! Great One, no wonder Conrart told me 'he wouldn't start a relationship under false pretenses!' how could he … she ….whatever, possibly hope to have any form of a normal healthy relationship, knowing that her entire life has basically been a lie. Until Conrart tells me she wishes to be called Victoria, she stays Connie as far as I'm concerned. I'll do what I can to help her adjust, but you need to understand and recognize the fact that it is going to take time for him…her… to adjust."

~~~***~~~

Yozak paused to catch his breath in the hallway outside of Conrad's rooms, just in time to see Gisela quickly leaving the room. It wasn't like her to be in such a hurry. That worried him. He waited only long enough to catch his breath after his headlong dash from the entrance into the Comb to Conrart's quarters. Then he knocked on his friend's door. "Connie," he called calmly. "Are you decent?"

He got no answer after a few minutes of waiting. Worried, he pushed the door open and walked into Conrart's rooms. He found his friend sitting up in his bed wrapped in a blanket. He could see his friend hyperventilating, shaking with tears running down her cheeks. Carefully he settled himself down next to the woman curled up on the bed.

"Connie?" he asked gently.

She looked up at him, and started to mumble. He only caught part of what the distressed young woman was saying and it took him a moment to work out. Yozak suppressed the urge to sigh, Conrart didn't normally have self-image problems but he guessed he could understand, how going to sleep male and awakening female could cause some physiological damage.

Right now, Connie was beyond uncomfortable with her body – actually, she was convinced she was hideous. That she was disproportioned or some other such nonsense! He tried vainly to reassure Connie that she was beautiful, despite the change from male to female. Despite all of his attempts, he couldn't seem to get Conrart to stop her panicked mumbling long enough to get her to listen to his words. Finally, annoyed, he decided to astonish Conrart out of his shock-induced rant.

That in mind he grabbed hold of the blanket Connie was currently covered with, and yanked it down to her knees. "You look damn sexy to me." He managed, before being cut off as Connie snapped out of her shock, and backhanded him with a resounding shriek of "pervert!"

She yanked the blanket back up around her shoulders and glared at him out of sharp brown eyes.

Yozak just grinned despite his rapidly bruising cheek. "Hey it snapped you out of your funk, now didn't it." He cheekily asked his currently beet-red friend.

Conrart just glared at him, hands covering breasts that were not much smaller than her Lady mother's.

Yozak just kept grinning, "On a more serious note, you are beautiful, no matter what gender you are. Granted the military haircut looks a bit odd now. But you are still beautiful." He paused then added. "However, I think you're going to need to see a tailor, because if that rack of yours fits into any of your shirts of coats, I will die of shock!"

That at least had the desired effect, Conrart started to laugh.

~~~***~~~

Conrart was leaning against Yozak several hours later wearing nothing but his robe, since as Yozak had predicted nothing fit.

"Connie?" Yozak said after the silence had stretched on just long enough that it was becoming uncomfortable. "Listen I know- I mean Gwendal told me your name is actually Victoria, so what should I actually call you?"

Conrart sighed and leaned back into the soft, plush, velvet, cushions of the fainting-couch. Honestly she didn't know why she even had the damned thing – it wasn't like she'd ever actually fainted. Still it and the astoundingly large and ornate vanity table had been a gift from mother as soon as she'd been old enough to move out of the Queen's quarters.

Not that she'd ever used the vanity either.

Why would she when she'd been male until this morning?

Sill the moment was beyond awkward.

Yozak had been nothing but kind, gentle and completely understanding, despite his earlier attempt at shocking her out of her stress-induced torpor. He'd gotten her neatly wrapped up in her bathrobe, out of bed and onto the fainting-couch in her living room for some sun, before settling himself onto a chair opposite her. The entire time he'd been behaving like there was nothing even remotely uncommon about having one's childhood best friend suddenly, and unexplainably, change genders.

Bless him.

For that alone – bless him

She considered Yozak's question, quietly, knowing full well that he was the only one likely to ask her opinion on the matter. Gwendal and possibly their lady mother where going to simply expect her to use her birth name now that she no longer had to pretend to be her twin brother.

The problem was

She was Conrart!

No one had dared to call her Victoria past the day of her birth. Oh she'd heard the name spoken many, many times in her relatively short life – but it had never been in an attempt to address her. It had also almost always been in relation to her dead twin.

Simply put it was no longer her name.

Yozak, bless him, hadn't simply made an assumption and started calling her Victoria or Tori or Vickie or some other derivative of her birth name. No he'd simply reverted to a childish form of the name he'd known her by all these years.

She was beyond grateful for that.

"I," she trailed off not quite knowing what to say. "Could we please, just stay with Connie? At least for now. Please?"

Yozak rose from his seat and came to her side; she tensed slightly as he wrapped her in his warm embrace. "Just relax," he whispered gently. "I know this whole thing is strange, and messed up, but it will get better. I'm here for you Connie, I promise."

Emotionally rung out, she leaned into her best friend's embrace and allowed herself to just let go.


	7. Chapter 7

Doria smiled to herself as she went through Lady Cecilia's vast wardrobe and chests of clothing. Lord von Voltaire had given her permission to be here in his mother's absence, since she was currently looking for clothing that would fit Lord or rather Lady Weller. She sighed, idly wondering just how long the change would last. This was obviously one of Lady Anissina's experiments gone awry.

Still she couldn't help wondering just why Gwendal had ordered all of his brother's 'old clothing' removed from his rooms and a tailor sent for.

It wasn't like the changes were permanent.

She couldn't find anything she thought Conrart would willingly wear; all of his mother's clothing was far to revealing for the young man's tastes. Finally in desperation she took bits and pieces of several different outfits, trying to build a few garment choices that wouldn't show off more of the young man then he would be comfortable with.

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Connie glared down at the clothing on her bed, as Yozak predicted nothing fit, hell even her robe was tight across her breasts. Actually the damned thing barely closed. The maids had left him with this somewhat less then orderly pile of her mother's clothing, to try and find something that would work.

Only problem was

He had no idea what half of the stuff was.

How could all of this be one outfit?

And what in the hell was this thing anyway?

Did women actually wear that much lace? Under their clothing no less? What was the point of it all?

Groaning, and highly annoyed she set out to find the one person who she could trust to help her figure out how to put on women's clothing.

Yozak

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Yozak Gurrier sighed as he rested against the ledge of the men's bath, enjoying the hot water and allowing it to relax his tense muscles. He listened quietly to the talk of the other soldiers currently using the bath. Most of them were from Connie's unit and they were all deeply worried about their captain. After all the 'man' had been acting strangely for the past few weeks. And no one had seen him in a little less than 6 days.

He held his tongue despite knowing exactly what had been up with their captain recently.

It was Connie's tail to tell, when she chose to tell it.

Not before

He'd just gotten out of the water and wrapped a towel firmly around his waist, when the mood in the baths changed. Dramatically.

"Hay baby, you lost?" one of the men called, to a chorus of wolf whistles, and similar cat calls.

Startled Yozak turned his head and tried to find exactly who the men were propositioning; his jaw dropped open at the sight of his best friend clad in nothing more than a now soaked and thus form hugging, light blue silk robe. For a moment he stood there in absolute shock.

Abruptly he realized Connie had probably forgotten just why coming in here like that was a very bad idea. She'd spent far too much of her life as a man for her to immediately be cognitive of the changes this form brought about as far as boundaries went.

One of the men, ironically Dylan, Conrart's second officer, reached up and grabbed the beautiful woman's behind. "Honestly baby you need directions to my room or are you up for a good time, and a good show right here?"

Connie yelped and pulled away furry shining in her brown eyes. She looked, surprised, confused and very, very lost. She gazed down at Dylan with, a look that was both hurt and confused.

That got Yozak moving.

He interposed himself between his best friend and Dylan, before the man's wandering hands could travel any further.

"Connie," he said brightly. "What are you doing in the _men's bath?_"

Connie blinked at him for a moment utterly confused, after a second Yozak pulled off his towel – despite the rather noticeable problem the sight of Connie in the now sheer, clinging robe had given him – and wrapped the thing firmly around her shoulders, covering the soft mounds of her breasts with the fluffy towel.

The first thing they needed to do was get her a robe that her breasts where not in danger of popping out of.

She blinked and looked down at her towel covered breasts and flushed crimson – blushing to the roots of her hair, then she turned and with a startled cry of alarm fled.

He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long day. He turned intent on finding another towel and going after his now female friend and reassuring her that it was a perfectly understandable mistake to make. After all it wasn't every day someone suddenly found themselves in the position Conrart – Connie (he reminded himself firmly) had just found herself in.

He'd meant to go after her at once, but the caterwauling voices of his comrades stopped him in his tracks. In many ways it was odd he was not a noble man with a gentleman's sensibilities yet he found himself wishing they would stop acting in such an appalling manner. Their where shouts from all sides. Mostly suggestions on the many ways he could make pleasant use of his friend's body to alleviate his obvious problem.

Those suggestions, coupled with the shouted words, of some of his more perverted comrades – who where currently demanding he 'drag the beauty back into the baths bend her over a chair and have her perform for their enjoyment' or even worse 'share the use of her tight body' – only enraged him further.

His own problem had been banished by their words and suggestions; he grabbed a fresh towel and briskly dried himself off before throwing on his clothing. Before informing the other men present that 'he didn't share' and stalking out of the room.

He found Conrart – Connie (that was going to take some getting used to) exactly where he'd expected to find her, curled up in an out of the way corner of the hallway, partly hidden by statue. He sighed and caught hold of Connie's arm. There was a secret passage into the comb, somewhere in this little nook, behind one of the tapestries. Thankfully, Connie's body language, told him she didn't intend to disappear into the comb this time. She was simply waiting for him. She looked up at him, and sighed. "Well I guess I ruined that."

He offered her a small smile, "it's an understandable mistake under the circumstances." He said mildly, and then added "I may have to murder a few of your men though."

Connie flushed, "That bad?"

Yozak snorted. "Hate to break it to you, Connie, but they are men, and that robe, doesn't leave much to the imagination when it's wet."

Connie groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Great. Just great."

"So what brought you into the bath looking for me in the first place and in a robe no less?" Yozak asked after gently reassuring his friend that everything would be alright.

Connie flushed, "I don't know how to put on women's clothing." He admitted after a moment. "Actually, I – I can't even identify some of the things the maids left on my bed."

Yozak sighed, "I'm not entirely sure this is appropriate, seeing how you're a girl and everything now, but I'll do my best." That said he rose to his feet and offered his friend his hand.

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Yozak had never been so glade of how loosely his tunic fit, it was the only thing currently obscuring his currently rock hard penis, from view.

"What do you mean; this thing goes over my breasts?" Conrart yelped glaring at the lacey contraption in her hands. "How in the hell do I even put this thing on?"

Yozak sighed trying vainly not to imagine his friend in nothing more than the lacey breast-band and equally lacey female version of the standard issue noble underwear – which consisted of even less fabric then the male version.

It wasn't working very well.

Actually it wasn't working at all.

The fact that he'd actually seen Connie without a single stitch of clothing – however briefly – was not helping matters in the least. Actually his brain kept coming up with things he'd like to do to her while she was naked – namely fucking her until she was to limp from pleasure to even consider getting out of bed again. It was making it extremely difficult for him to help her get dressed.

The somewhat carnal image of her straddling his lap naked, with his throbbing member buried deeply into her virginal body, while they both moaned in ecstasy invaded his minds eyes, so forcefully that he fled the room. Seeking refuge in Connie's bathroom, one hand clamped over his now bloody nose. His leggings where uncomfortably tight, as he closed the door behind himself and bit his lip to keep from crying out and enlightening Connie to his problem, even as he sought desperately to alleviate it.

For the third time in an hour, honestly he thought he'd gotten past this with puberty.

Obviously not

He was so sensitive it only took a few light strokes before he came, explosively into the chamber pot.

It was going to be a very long morning – and they hadn't even managed to get past the undergarments yet.

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Yozak gapped at his best friend as he grabbed her shoulders to steady her; carefully he lifted one of the bamboo poles with its four dangling buckets full of water off of her shoulders. He balanced them across his own broader shoulders with ease and gestured for her to lead the way with her now much lightened load. The second pole balanced across Connie's shoulders bore only two buckets, reducing the load she was carrying to eight gallons – around 50 to 60 pounds. * She offered him a small smile and continued back down the hall towards her room.

Idly Yozak wondered just why they where carting about 24 gallons of warm steaming water between them up the stairs and across the vast halls of the palace to Connie's rooms.

The claw footed bathtub that sat in the center of Connie's bathroom, however gave him a clue, it was already partly filled with warm water. Abruptly he realized just why they were carting so much water up to Connie's rooms – Connie was actually filling the old – if very well serviced -claw foot bath tub in his bathroom. It meant that Connie intended to bathe in her rooms. Idly he wondered why. It would have been easier for her to simply go to the woman's bath rather than haul that much water through the palace. However he soon realized that the week Connie had spent as a girl was not likely to change his views on bathing in the woman's bath. Connie had sacrificed much in order to survive – among them her gender and very identity. It would be hard for her to adjust. With a sigh he set about helping her to fill the tub the rest of the way. It went faster with the two of them emptying the buckets into the tub.

Finally once they were finished Connie simply gathered her bathing supplies, a towel and her robe before setting them down on a nearby stool. To Yozak's immense surprise she simply began to disrobe, unmindful of his presence. He squeaked, in mild alarm feeling his body react to the fact that his now female friend had just disrobed in his presence.

"Yozak?" Connie asked quietly, as she sank down into the warm water. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he squeaked, trying not to drool at the sight of her laid out in the water. He couldn't help it the only thing running through his mind at that moment was _Great one she's so hot. _Conrart had been devastatingly handsome, but Connie – she defiantly took after her mother, though she was taller, longer in the leg and if Connie complaining about the breast-band was any indication of size – larger in the breast then her mother. She was every man's fantasy and every man's nightmare. She was far too stubborn willful and opinionated to ever be someone's ideal wife. But he wanted her none the less. He wanted to have the right to touch every inch of the voluptuous body now dripping with droplets of water.

Despite his best attempts to persuade his body otherwise it reacted, his penis growing rock hard and to his horror the tip had begun to weep. Before he could do anything to stop it there was a rather distinctive tent in his tunic and an equally distinctive wet spot.

He felt his cheeks heating, as Connie blinked up at him a blush spreading to the roots of her hair as he was sure his own was.

"Yozak," she gasped after a second, sinking deeper into the water, "that's disgusting!"

"It's your fault," he replied his own voice high with embarrassment. "I at least am still a guy!"

"How is it my fault you have an erection?"

"You're naked and in the water. How am I supposed to react?"

"Turn around you overgrown oaf!"

There was perhaps a good 4 minutes of shouting before he finally regained enough cognitive function to flee the room and the awkward situation – leaving his friend to bathe in I peace.

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A.N actually it's closer to 66lbs. which means that Yozak is carrying around 132lbs. for those of you who are wondering Conrart has never had to be body shy around her best friend before because they were both guys so there's obviously going to have to be some adjusting. Read and review please.


	8. Chapter 8

Lady Cecilia hurried through the halls of Covenant Castle. She'd just come home from her latest quest for free love and she was deeply worried. The palace rumor mill was abuzz – as always. However the two most prominent rumors featured her middle son. According to one, Conrart had gone missing. The other stated that he'd somehow run afoul of one of Lady Anissina's experiments. So now she was all but running through the palace corridors looking for the one man who could shed light on why her second son had apparently been missing for the last three weeks – Gwendal.

Her eldest was sure to know what was going on with his younger sibling. She reached the door to his office and simply barged in without bothering to knock and rather abruptly found herself in a room with her eldest son who was to busy arguing heatedly with Conrart to notice her.

She blinked, wondering idly who'd kicked her second son with enough force to make his voice go up that many octaves. His hair was a bit longer then he normally kept it and actually looked a bit scruffy. That however was not where the surprise ended.

Her heart stopped

Conrart was wearing a dress!

While she normally would have put that down to his spending far too much time with Yozak, she was aware of the fact that Yozak at least could not be blamed for her son's current choice in attire. Yozak had much better taste then that…thing.

"What in the world is going on here?" She demanded sharply. "Conrart, why in the Great One's name, are you wearing a grain sack? That thing is hideous!"

As one her two eldest children turned to look at her and she took in the changes the grain sack masquerading as a dress did little to obscure.

"Ask Gwendal." Conrart said mildly, at the same time as she whispered a single word "Victoria?"

She turned her attention to Gwendal. "What is your sister doing here? She could be killed!"

Gwendal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "There is no danger to Connie mother; Yuri had the law overturned before he went back to earth to visit his family. He doesn't even know that Connie is his Godmother not his Godfather yet." He paused then added. "As for what Connie's wearing I had them ordered for her in several colors. It's conservative - "

"It's a silk frock!" Connie yelped. "And what in the name of the Great One did you do with my pants? How am I supposed to lead my men when I look like a street rat?"

Gwendal sighed, "Victoria we've been through this, Ladies do not lead military units, and Ladies certainly do not go into battle."

"You never asked me if I even wanted to be a woman! Not a single one of you asked! You just decided to merrily turn my life upside-down now that it conveniently fits into your plans. Well I have news for you Gwendal. I am still Conrart! Being suddenly female changes nothing. I am not now nor will I ever be a 'Lady'. And stop calling me Victoria – that name is not mine!"

Gwendal groaned. "Connie," he said firmly. "Like it or not, you are a lady of rank. Ladies do not do any of the things you want to do. You will submit yourself to learning the skills of a lady and that is final."

Connie crossed her arms and glared at her brother. "Of all the arrogant, pompous, egotistical drivel, I have ever heard that has got to be by far the most idiotically aggravating. I ask you this brother - when have you ever known me to submit to anything without a fight? What makes you think that this will be at all different? I may not be able to change the fact that Anissina, Gisela and you all seem to think I should be female now after more than a century as a man. But I can tell you this. I am a soldier, and no amount of effeminate pomp is going to change the fact that I am."

"Then as a soldier I order you to become a proper lady!" Gwendal yelled, "How am I ever supposed to find you a proper husband, when you refuse to be a lady? Most of them would be terrified by the prospect of having to tame the Lion of Luttenburg!"

Connie glowered. "I will not be tamed!" she snapped, and then added. "As for the body servant you suddenly have following me around, you can send her back to her original duties, as I am quite capable of dressing myself. Thank you very much!"

Lady Cecilia held up a hand when Connie went to exit the office. "Connie," she said gently. "Like it or not your brother is right, you are a Lady now." That said she turned her attention to her eldest. "As for you try to see this from your sister's point of view how would you like it if you woke up one morning to find yourself a woman and expected to act like one? While I agree with you that Connie needs to be presented to our people for whom and what she is, and her eligibility for marriage made clear, I believe you are attempting to move with too much haste."

"Mother!" Connie yelped at the same time as Gwendal asked "what would you have me do?"

"We throw your sister a ball of course." Lady Cecilia squealed. "I'll see to it that your sister has proper clothing and you'll make it known that Connie will be eligible for marriage after the ball. We handle this exactly how it would have been handled had Connie been allowed to stay a girl. No we must hurry since this banquet will be almost a full two decades overdue."

WLBWLBWLB

_The ball presenting her status as a young Lady, who was eligible for courting, was to be held in 3 months time. _She was furious, and terrified. She wanted nothing more than to cry – but soldiers didn't cry.

Connie sat in the middle of her bed, clad in only her bathrobe, chest heaving, amidst the ruin of her wardrobe.Okay in hind sight, throwing every single new outfit Gwendal had had made for her around the room in a fit of temper was just as unbecoming for Conrart as it was for Lady Victoria. But it felt good to be done with those horrible cloths. Besides it's not like she was going anywhere. The maids had come and removed the clothing she'd borrowed from her lady mother and had hung up every frock, and petticoat–ed monstrosity that now comprised her wardrobe. So she had absolutely nothing presentable to wear.

Great One she needed a drink

"Go the hell away!" she yelled in response to the knock on her door.

True to form Yozak didn't go away – he simply walked in and whistled as he took in the mess she had made.

He turned his attention to her and raised an eyebrow. "Come now it can't be that bad." He said gently taking in her mutinous expression.

In response she threw the cream colored frock she'd been wearing earlier at the man.

Yozak pulled the offending garment off of his head and held it out for inspection. He winched. "I can fix this," he said after a few seconds. "All I need is an hour, scissors, a needle and some thread and this thing." He said snatching up an identical dress in a pale pink.

To Connie's utter astonishment an hour and a half later she found herself in possession of two dresses that were actually presentable. Yozak had made her wear, the cream colored dress while he altered it so that the thing was now form fitting and looked like it had two skirts a pink one with a cream colored split skirt over it. In reality it was just a cleaver bit of sowing that lent it that appearance. Yozak had also trimmed the cuffs and the new neckline in the same soft pink fabric.

He'd then made identical – if reversed - alterations to the pink dress he'd cut the fabric from.

It wasn't her customary uniform, but at least she could go out in public now without wanting to die of embarrassment.

WLBWLBWLB

Yozak smiled as he led Connie, clad in the cream colored pink accented dress he'd just finished altering for her, out of the palace and down to the stables. They were headed into town, to a small upscale tea shop. Connie had told him about the ball, and the fact that Gwendal was basically going to be taking offers for her hand. She wasn't happy about it.

Not at all.

To make matters worse she didn't even know if Gwendal would consult her about it. She wanted to believe he would, but she wasn't sure. Apparently she didn't want to marry. She wanted her life to go back to normal, she wanted to lead her men, train her recruits, and follow Yuri into danger and adventure, so that she could protect her king. In general she just wanted to get back to Conrart's life.

It was odd because Conrart had once told him he wanted nothing more than to settle down and have a family. Now that she could Connie wanted to go back to her life as Conrart. She probably just needed time to adjust.

He knew part of the problem was she wanted 'to settle down and start a family' on her own terms and in her own time.

Connie he'd decided needed some time away. She just needed a night out.

Hence their trip into town, Connie he knew had never learned how to ride sidesaddle – because Conrart didn't need to know how. So he'd managed to convince her to ride pillion behind him so she could hang on to him, lessening the chance of her falling off. That and neither of them really wanted to explain to some random stableman why Connie was saddling Conrart's horse.

Not to mention the fact that neither of them even knew if Stardust would accept Connie as a rider in place of Conrart. The horse hated everyone but Conrart and tolerated very few people anywhere near her.

Connie was worried her horse would hate her for the change.

Yozak watched his friend as he saddled his own mount; the stallion was a beautiful liver Chestnut, with black points, mane and tail. Before this whole travesty had started, Conrart had mentioned the possibility of breeding Stardust to Bronze.

Connie rather abruptly slipped out of Bronze's stall and headed over to Stardust. The mare nickered, and pranced, clearly confused. Ears cocked forward she inspected Connie out of one large eye before gently she gently lipped Connie's dress.

Yozak smiled at the sound of Connie's light chuckle, watching as the woman hugged her horse.

"Yah I know it's weird." She told the mare softly. "I'm not used to it either. I guess we'll both have to get used to sidesaddle – if Gwendal has his way. But at least he can't say you wouldn't be 'a proper lady's mount'. You are lovely, my lady, even if you are a trained war horse."

The horse snorted and commenced nuzzling her now female rider. _At least _Yozak thought, _Connie still has that damned horse, and she's right Gwendal can't complain._

WLBWLBWLB

Connie clung to Yozak's broad back as they road home. They'd had a pleasant evening, and Connie had to admit nothing soothed her soul – quite – like being with Yozak did. Marriage she thought wouldn't be too bad if she knew she would be warming Yozak's bed, and sating his needs. Yozak was her best friend and she knew he would never hurt her.

Hell she was fairly sure Yozak would wait until she was ready and not simply take her whenever he wanted.

She hated to admit it but she was scared. Nobel law was harsh. As soon as Gwendal announced her eligibility noblemen would start placing their bids for her hand, submitting for her elder brother's inspection what they thought would be a reasonable bride-price. They had six months to do this in – or until a preset date, at which time Gwendal would announce his choice and the courting year would begin. That very night before the announcement she would be washed, primped, perfumed, and dressed in a gown of pure silk. The gown's color would be determined before hand by a healer. If the gown was of un-dyed silk it symbolized virginity. If it was dyed white it meant she'd been with someone. The darker the silk was dyed the more promiscuous the woman.

At the time of the announcement the man in question would be given a gold ceremonial dagger no larger than a grown man's thumb.

After the announcement she would be permitted one dance with her future husband, before being hustled off to her rooms and prepared to await his impending arrival in nothing more than the ceremonial, skin tight, gown that she would be made to wear under her other gown.

Upon his arrival, that dagger would be slipped between her skin and the neckline of her gown, a slit would be made, and the dagger put away before the ceremonial cloth ripping - visual symbol of a loss of innocents, and her assent into true womanhood. After which he would fulfill the last requirement of the night – by spilling his seed inside of her body.

She had a year to prove herself worthy of the price or the deal would be considered void. By day he would court her, bringing her gifts of 'love'. By night she would warm his bed and he would spill his seed into her body again and again until she finally 'caught' and his seed, thus planted, began to grow.

Only once her body and a healer had confirmed her fertility, would they be married.

Long custom had dictated that she go to her marriage bed, already carrying his child.

The very thought scared the hell out of her.

She buried her face in Yozak's back and sobbed. She didn't want this. Not like this. She wanted to choose a husband she loved, and go to her marriage bed content in that knowledge.

WLBWLBWLB

Connie sighed as she made her way down to the Stables with Yozak at her side. Today she was going to ride Stardust. She was going to learn to ride sidesaddle if it killed her. Which given how sensitive her horse's flanks were – it might just do.

She walked into the stable and froze. Standing just a few stalls down from the box stall she'd modified for Stardust, were three of her men. She swallowed.

She wasn't ready for this.

She wasn't ready for the scorn, the comments about not being led by a woman that Gwendal seemed to think would be forthcoming.

Yozak squeezed her shoulder unobtrusively, "You'll do fine, and your men are loyal to you and only you. When you defected to try and retrieve that damned box, there wasn't a man who served with you who didn't believe you had a damned good reason for what you were doing. Now, will be no different."

Connie swallowed, raised her chin and walked past the three men. She stopped just in front of Stardust's predictably empty stall. The back door leading out of the stall and into Stardust's private paddock was open – as it always was. She smiled and climbed over the stall door, and tripped over the hem of her skirts.

She cursed in a very unladylike fashion when she wound up on hands and knees in the straw. Her cursing brought Herald, Lorentz, and Christopher.

"My Lady," Christopher yelped, "Get out of there. Lord Weller's horse hates everyone."

Yozak held up a hand for silence. "Stardust would not hurt Connie." He said simply.

Lorentz snorted, and was about to say something when Connie turned around and they got their first good look at her. She raised her chin, and faced her men with as much dignity as she could muster.

"I thank you for your concern but Stardust would never hurt me." She told them mildly, and then she whistled.

Stardust flew into the stall reared to her full height and flung herself at the stall door, trumpeting her rage at the sight of the three soldiers – Yozak she ignored utterly.

Connie clucked her tongue to get the mare's attention, and held out her hand. Stardust turned and walked to her gently putting the end of her velvety soft muzzle against her palm.

She patted the mare gently and turned to face her astonished men.

"Lord Weller?" all three men asked quietly.

Connie nodded, "Yah, it's me." She replied calmly.

Herald took a step forward and Stardust laid back her ears, he ignored the horse. "Rumor has it that you got on the wrong side of one of Lady Anissina's experiments. Does she know how to undo this? How long are you going to be? Well -"

"Female?" Conrart asked.

All three of them nodded. She glanced over at Yozak. He nodded slightly, and she drew what encouragement she could from his presence. She took a deep breath before answering. "Did I ever tell you I had a twin brother?"

The men shook their heads, and she continued. "Conrart died shortly after we were born and our lady mother passed me off as him." She shrugged. "I guess I'm Connie now."

Her men gazed at her for a moment, and then they went to attention, "When are you returning to lead your men, Sir- Ma'am?" Christopher enquired.

Connie blinked back tears, she hadn't expected that. "You would consent to being led by a woman?" she asked in mild surprise.

Her men snorted, "You've led us well for over half a century." Lorentz replied mildly. "You have proven yourself worthy of that Command, I'm sure I speak for us all when I say we will still follow you."

WLBWLBWLB

Yozak tried not to laugh at Connie's cursing. He was leading Stardust around in a big circle, and Connie was attempting to ride her horse sidesaddle for the first time in her life.

She kept falling off – even at a walk – hence the cursing.

WLBWLBWLB

Connie sighed and tried vainly not to revert to leading. She was currently attempting to waltz with Yozak. She knew how to waltz, it was a skill she'd been forced to learn at an early age. But she'd learned how to led a dance not how to follow a partner. She felt a bit sorry for Yozak; she kept accidently stepping on his toes.

Although she supposed it was only fair.

She'd taught Yozak how to dance years ago, and she'd been his partner many times when he was learning how to dance like a woman. He'd stepped on her toes to – and he was quite a bit heavier then she had ever been.

"One, two, three, and one, two, three…" Günter droned on, and on like an annoying fly in the background.

Yozak leaned in and whispered, "is it just me or is that getting annoying?" into her ear before he spun her around.

WLBWLBWLB

Connie glared at the tangled mess of yarn in her hands and at her feet – who would have thought knitting would be so hard?

WLBWLBWLB

Lady Cecilia smiled the clothing she'd ordered for her daughter had finally arrived. She called to the maids and ordered all of the clothing Gwendal had ordered made for Connie removed from her rooms and the new clothing put up in its place.

WLBWLBWLB

Connie gapped at her wardrobe in shock; Yozak had only just finished altering the entirety of it. Yet all of the clothing save the pink dress she was currently wearing was gone. In its place was more clothing, which clearly catered more to her mother's tastes, if the low necklines and high slits where any indication of who had commissioned them.

Cursing under her breath Connie shut her wardrobe door and stalked off.

WLBWLBWLB

A.N. Sorry this took so long writer's block is a bitch and not the good kind. Please read and review.


	9. Chapter 9

Doria looked up at the sound of her name, to see the still female Lord Weller standing in the door way. She smiled at the handsome young man turned astoundingly beautiful young woman and curtsied slightly. "What can I do for you my la – I mean my lord?" she asked quietly, wondering how much longer the poor thing would be female.

Truthfully, while she could see the benefits of having properly fitting women's clothing made for the poor dear she could not see why both Lord Gwendal and Lady Cecilia insisted on having a full wardrobe of dresses made for him.

It was pretty obvious he was uncomfortable in them.

Why couldn't they just make a female version of his uniforms for him?

While it was true that the army had rather strict rules about what roles a woman could occupy, she didn't see Conrad's men objecting to being led by a woman for the short time that Lord Weller would be forced to endure as a female.

He offered her a small smile, and she noticed the uncertain way his hand crinkled the fabric to the side of his full skirts. "Do you by any chance know what was done with any of my other clothing options?" he asked quietly, before adding. "Some of the outfits mother had commissioned are less conservative then I'm completely comfortable with."

"I'm sorry I don't know what was done with either your uniforms or the dresses Lord Gwendal had made for you." She replied lightly, "Although I would imagine the uniforms and the rest of your usual clothing have been put in storage for use after you become a man again. As for the dresses, I would assume something similar was done with them. Might I inquire who altered the … dresses that Lord Gwendal had made for you? The alterations where impressive."

"Yozak," Conrart replied simply his lips raising up in the first genuine smile she'd seen on his face since shortly before he'd been turned into a woman.

She had to smile at the strength of the young lord's friendship with the common-born soldier. "I never would have guessed Yozak was so talented with a needle."

"Yozak is a man of many talents." He replied before inclining his head slightly and excusing himself with a soft word of thanks for her time.

That was one of the reasons all of the palace staff genuinely cared for him, he was sweet and respectful to them – even all those years ago when everyone else had thought he needed his attitude tweaked.

With a soft sigh she went back to her duties.

WLBWLBWLBWLB

Yozak smiled, as he sat in the gardens sketching one of the flowers – a Conrad Standing Tall. It was a beautiful flower and it truly suited its namesake. Conrart or rather Connie had always stood tall, despite all forms of adversity that had been thrown before him…her – whatever.

He was still having trouble getting used to that.

Although he didn't know why he was having so much trouble coming to terms with that fact – his body certainly was not having trouble adjusting to the change. Even in the grain sacks he'd just finished altering Connie was beyond beautiful. She was lovely and the way she moved, with such self assurance and confidence – as if a sword was still at her hip, as if she was a queen in her own right – was arousing as all hell!

Honestly he was surprised he still had skin down there!

At least Connie was no longer forced to wear some of her mother's clothing, which didn't fit her right anyway, and thus left even less to the imagination on her then they did on her lady mother. That had been an exercise in self control for him. Particularly since after more than a century of friendship as a man, Connie had little concept of modesty around him and was only just learning to be body shy in his presence.

"Yozak," he looked up at the sound of his best-friend's now noticeably higher voice and squeaked softly as his body reacted to her outfit demanding he do something carnal. Stepping on the rather insistent urge to bend her over the nearest convenient object and make her moan in pleasure, he closed his sketchbook, stuck his charcoal stick behind his ear and rose gracefully to his feet.

"What exactly are you wearing?" he demanded as soon as he was sure his voice wouldn't be higher than hers.

Her simple reply, while only four words, explained everything.

"Mother 'fixed' my wardrobe."

Yozak couldn't help it, he groaned, he was defiantly going to have to be careful if he still wanted to have skin by week's end.

WLBWLBWLB

Gwendal sighed as opened the 16 page long document on his desk. In truth he knew his little sister might never forgive him for his decision to 'marry her off', however it was for her own good. As much as he wanted to believe that Yuri's changing that damned law would mean the end of his sister's hardships, he knew that wouldn't be the case. His sister was the Lion of Luttenburg (Lioness now – he guessed) and many of the nation's men would probably feel that she had forgotten 'her place.'

Hell if he was honest Connie had never known 'her place' she had been brought up as a boy. As Connie herself kept reminding him she was no meek milk maid.

That was part of what he was worried about.

He knew the nature of men, and he feared there would be some who yearned to physically put the woman who had earned the title The Lion of Luttenburg back in her place. Being married would offer his sister some protection against that however. Even if the man didn't give a damn about his sister he would have to defend her honor to preserve his own.

Still the choices in husbands for a woman of Connie's rank were very specific. As the former Queen's daughter Connie could only marry into one of the 10 noble houses or the 20 lesser noble houses most closely related to them. That is unless he – as the head of her house (at least until she married) – filled out the extra 6 pages of paperwork to open up the bidding for her hand to any man who could provide a reasonable bride price.

Hopefully things would work out.

WLBWLBWLB

Yozak glanced over at Connie and his breath caught in his throat. They were down in one of the palace storage rooms rummaging through boxes in an attempt to find where the palace servants had 'stashed' Connie's old clothes. The woman was determined to find something to wear that wasn't designed by her mother – even if it was one of the grain sacks Gwendal had had made for her.

The unfortunate result was that she was currently bent ever so slightly forward, rummaging through the contents of a big box.

By the Great One the woman had a gorgeous ass!

The dress her mother had had made for her clung to her every curve and really wasn't helping. The unblemished skin of her back felt good beneath his hand.

She was beautiful – even with that scowl on her face –

Wait?

Great one he was in trouble!

He blinked attempting to shake off the spell she unknowingly put on him. "We should head down to dinner," he said belatedly moving the hand that now rested on her exposed hip. "You'll be missed."

WLBWLBWLB

Gwendal smiled to himself as he waved the last page he'd had to sign in an attempt to make the ink dry faster. He'd only just finished the paperwork needed to give his sister a larger selection of potential husbands. Now all that was left was for Yuri to sign the document. With a sigh he pulled out a soft leather folder that bore the crest of the House von Voltaire, and slipped the stack of papers into it before binding it with the traditional silver and white ribbons that signified a document pertaining to matrimony.

Tucking the thing under his arm he made his way out of his office and down the palace corridors to the office of his currently absent Maou. Yuri he knew would sign the documents they marked as 'important' immediately upon his return from earth. Sadly it was past time he further incurred his little sister's wrath. He'd put it off as long as he could – but now it was time for him to chose her guards. Connie was a young lady of noble rank and her wedding would grant her husband land, titles, money, and power over both her and her lands and house. There were men who would take advantage of that – either through rape or through gallantry and wooing in an attempt to get Connie to lift her skirts for him. Simply put any man who could get her pregnant would be able to circumvent custom and tradition in order to wed her and gain the power and connections her marriage would grant.

By tradition during this time Connie would have a total of seven guards to protect her from falling prey to such men. He just had to choose the men to serve in that aspect. Obviously Yozak would serve as a sort of defacto undercover 8th guard that not even his sister would suspect. He'd already decided to take her guards from both Conrart's unit and his own – since his sister's childhood guards (who normally would have been given the honor) were incompetent.

There was no other way to explain the fact that Connie routinely gave them the slip even as a small child, and the fiasco of a few years ago, when Yuri had briefly returned the men to their duty. The young king had been livid upon discovering that his extremely ill – and thus weak – godfather, who could hardly stand (for crying out loud), had vanished. The fact that none of his guards could even hazard a guess as to when the sick man had wondered off had not helped.

He already had a captain for Connie's guard selected from among his own men; along with the three men from his own unit who would make likely officers. The three men from Conrart's old unit where proving to be somewhat more tricky to place. Under normal circumstances he would simply have asked his little brother which of his junior officers would make likely guards for a young lady who routinely slipped her guard and had just as much noble pride as any man.

However this was not a normal circumstance and he no longer had a younger brother. He now had a little brother and a baby sister. It hadn't escaped him that Conrart and Connie still lived in the now female form of Victoria Weller. Truthfully he didn't know what to do. By their law 'Connie's place' was what she made it into. As twins whose 'sibling of the same birth' was of the opposite gender neither Victoria nor Conrart would have had set roles in society.

Hell Conrart could have pranced around in a dress if he'd chosen to and Connie could have chosen to take up the blade. Had both lived they would have been raised to know both roles and given a choice upon their majority. Were they a boy and a girl? Where they two young warriors for their people? Would one marry and the other go into the service of the Great One? Or would they both leave their family and serve the Great One, either as a shrine maiden or as a Shadow?

The problem was that the twins' birth had never been celebrated, the fact that 'half-breed twins' had ever been born had never been announced. Instead the birth of a single prince had been announced, and their nation allowed to believe that the absence of twins in that generation was a sign of the Great One's disapproval in the 26th Maou's marriage to a human.

The coming Ball would not only announce the fact that his sister was alive and marriageable, but it would also announce the fact that Conrart and Connie had been _twins_.

It would seriously raise her expected bride price and the respect given to the man who managed to win her. Hopefully it would also see to it that she was given the respect she deserved.

He'd just finished dropping off the paper work and was half way back to his own office, when he overheard a conversation between several of his men. Jared the man he'd originally pegged as the new captain of Connie's guard was currently describing the rather vulgar things he'd like to do to Connie, for the amusement of his men.

Gwendal felt sick at the mere idea of anyone doing any of the things suggested to any woman – let alone his baby sister. Several of the men seemed just as disgusted, and said as much. Granted none of them had any idea who exactly Connie was – but still that was no excuse.

Based upon some of the things Jered had just inadvertently revealed about his character the man would never be allowed anywhere near his baby sister.

Not as the captain of Connie's personal guard.

Not when the Captain had quarters that connected into her living room; with a door that could only be locked from the Captain's side.

It would just be too dangerous.

He'd have to reevaluate every man he'd chosen for Connie's guard. Then he figured he'd double check the men he chose with Yozak – if anyone had dirt on the men it would be Yozak.

WLBWLBWLBWLB

Connie glanced up as her mother came barreling into her room without so much as an 'are you decent?' It was beyond annoying. However her mother seemed to have forgotten that she was grown the moment she'd developed breasts over night. Honestly the woman had respected her privacy far better when she was still Conrart.

"What can I do for you mother?" she asked softly, already fearing the worst.

Lady Cecilia smiled at her sweetly, taking in her current state of undress. Connie flushed, it was a rare occurrence to find her undressed this late in the morning but she was planning on going riding and since she no longer had clothing suitable for the exercise, she was currently trying to figure out what attire would be at least serviceable.

Her mother made her way over to the wardrobe, selected a dress seemingly at random and handed it to her. "Put this on, dear," she said brightly. "Then come with me, we need to start planning your ball, and every lady of rank must know how to plan a ball."

Connie raised an eyebrow but took the dress without complaint and slipped behind a changing screen to put it on. "What is there to learn," she asked quietly. "You just pick the food and the date and that's the end of it." She tugged at the end of the gown in a vain attempt to pull the slit further down, she was showing far more leg then she was comfortable with. However her attempts only succeeded in revealing more of her breasts.

"Connie honey, stop fidgeting." Her mother said simply. "It's obvious that I neglected your education, as far as 'womanly arts' are concerned. Honestly honey, you have to plan the menu, pick the flowers, design the invitations, and see to it they are sent out and a lot more. Now come on, we are expected in the ballroom."

Cecilia turned and headed for the door, before pausing and looking at her daughter. "And honey, take off your underwear. You can see them in that dress and a lady does not show her underwear. People will think you're loose."

Connie squeaked and flushed, "give me a second to change into something else." She replied firmly.

"Oh honestly, Connie" Lady Cecilia said with a soft shake of her head. "Just take them off, we haven't the time for you to change now." That said she held out her hand.

Beet red with embarrassment, Connie, pulled off the offending garment, tossed them back through her open bedroom door and stood tugging nervously at the hem of her dress while her mother inspected her.

After a moment her mother spoke, "the bra too, dear, it's not the right type for the dress and you don't have time to change it."

"Mother!" Connie squeaked in protest but one look at her mother's adamant expression told her she wasn't going to win this argument. With a small sigh she reached into her nearly nonexistent dress, unhooked her bra, and removed it before tossing it back into her bedroom to join the underwear on her floor. Then she followed her mother through the halls of Covenant Castle – feeling naked and exposed.

WLBWLBWLBWLBWLB

Yozak sighed as he made his way into Gwendal's office, he didn't know what the man wanted, but he had a feeling it was going to piss off Connie. Six men stood at attention just inside the office door and Yozak raised an eyebrow at the sight of them. He recognized them all. Three came from Conrart's unit the other's from Gwendal's. He couldn't help wondering what they were all doing there.

"Yozak," Gwendal's voice held all the authority of a command, "tell me; what do you think of these men as a Guard for the Lady Victoria?"

Yozak felt his eyebrow arch into his hairline as he considered the men in a new light. "They'll do Gwendal. Of course you do realize she is going to skin you and whoever you've chosen as the captain of her guard as soon as she finds out?" he asked flippantly.

"Then you'll have to break it to her gently, wont you Captain?" Gwendal asked calmly.

"Me?" Yozak squeaked. "You've got to be joking!"

Gwendal smiled, "I expect you to be moved into your new quarters, by the night of the ball Yozak. I'll leave it to you to decide who is assigned to what duty." That said he rose from his seat and exited the office.

Yozak groaned. Connie was going to skin him. He rubbed his brow; he wasn't entirely sure how to handle this. Glancing over at 'his men' he made a snap decision. "Dolan, for now if anyone asks – you're the captain of the Guard, but run anything major and by that I mean anything even mildly important pertaining to 'Lady Victoria' through me."

He looked over his men briefly then sighed, "If she vanishes on you, don't panic about it. I'll most likely be with her. Even if I'm not she can take care of herself." It was around this time that Yozak realized his men where gaping at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Don't panic, if we lose her? She can take care of herself?" Marcus asked incredulously. "Sir we're charged with protecting a _lady_ before her engagement day. It's the most dangerous time in a young lady's life and you tell us not to worry if she up and vanishes on us? How do you justify that?"

Yozak groaned, "Marcus, would you panic if Lord Weller gave you the slip?"

Marcus snorted "Course not sir, the Captain can take care of himself."

Yozak sighed; it looked like there was no way around it. "Lord Weller is now the Lady Victoria, and quite pissed off about it. I'd advise you all to call her Lady Weller if you have any plans to start a family. She's less then pleased with the fact that people insist on calling her by the birth name she's never used."

The men simply gaped at him.

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Connie gapped at the women in front of her, each asking rapid fire questions; it was hard to keep them all straight.

"Ivory or pearl?" one of the maids asked holding up a pair of identical plates, only to have another maid hold up another set of identical plates and enquire "bone, or oyster?"

"Um… oyster?" Connie replied timidly.

Cecilia sighed, "Clearly we have more work than I thought." She said sadly, "it's pearl dear, particularly when you have an ivory tablecloth."

Connie sighed it was true she did have a lot left to learn, and while she normally hungered for any and all forms of knowledge, the problem was she really didn't want to learn all of this. She balled her hand slightly and felt the sword calluses that marred her skin.

She just wanted her life back, she wanted to train with her men, go for long afternoon rides with Yozak and not have to worry about what people think or if she would be able to balance in a sidesaddle.

She loathed riding sidesaddle.

Mostly because she lacked the ability to stay in one

She preferred to ride astride, and as soon as she got her hands on a pair of pants or some chaps she would ride astride again – and to hell with custom! Right now she'd settle for a pair of old fashioned ladies underwear. Anything to stop the chafing!

"Sapphire or cerulean?" One of the maids asked holding something else up for her inspection.

"Sapphire?" she replied hesitantly.

"Cerulean." Came her mother's tart reply.

"Porcelain or bone china?" another random young court gossip she'd never met before enquired holding up two nearly identical china plates. "Three or five tines" someone else asked holding up two candelabras. "Gold or silver?" this question was asked by someone holding up flatware. "What type of flowers, garlands or bouquets?"

Her head was spinning from all the questions, "Um…Porcelain?" replied timidly.

"Why would anyone use porcelain? It's inferior." The court gossip Connie had only just met replied loftily. "Honestly where have you been your entire life- living in a hovel like some worthless peasant boy? Don't you know anything or do you have fleas like the little savage who you spend such an inordinate amount of time with?"

The image of Yozak on the day they'd first met flashed before her mind's eye. She remembered her friend as he'd been that day – scrawny, dirty, and so lost.

Yozak was her best and dearest friend, a friend who had once carried her broken body off one of the bloodiest battlefields in the history of their kingdom. A friend who had been all that she had to live for after the death of her dear friend Lady Suzanna Julia (who'd somehow known she was female from their first meeting). Yozak was the one person who had made her feel as if she still knew who she was, just with his unwavering friendship.

Yozak who this annoying little court lout was currently insulting.

It took every ounce of her considerable self-control not to start yelling.

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Yozak Groaned as he and 'his men' where joined in Gwendal's office by the clothier the army went to for uniforms, 6 attendants and Gwendal himself. He really should have expected the change in uniform; after all it was traditional for the uniform of a house's privet standing armies to be reduced by several shades to signify a Lady's leadership. Conrad's chosen color was a dark tan and judging by the rough uniforms they were all being forced into, the new color was going to be a light khaki. For the most part the majority of the men didn't need too many alterations from the original measurements the clothiers had on file for them – however the last time Yozak had worn a uniform was almost 25 years ago during the war. The end result was that the uniform – which was still held together only by pins – was tight and clung in all the wrong places.

He didn't dare move!

He groaned aloud as he noted the difference in insignia. The captain's bars being placed upon his shoulder seemed far too heavy for its size. He sighed and tried not to object when Gwendal and Wesley started discussing exactly what to do with his formal uniforms.

Formal uniforms

As in more than one

Oh Connie was going to kill him when she found out.

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Connie groaned and tried valiantly to hang on to the last strands of her fraying temper, when her mother said "and of course we'll have to plan out exactly where your guards will be stationed after you arrive -"

"Guards?" Connie enquired through clenched teeth.

"Well of course you'll have guards dear," her lady mother said in what could only be called a patronizing tone of voice. "Every lady needs guards."

"Mother I hardly feel that I require a guard - " she would have said more but the annoying young woman from earlier opened her mouth and interrupted her.

"Of course you need a guard, if only to protect you from that peasant born soldier who follows you around like a lost puppy. You may be unaware of it but I can see the man has less then honorable intentions. He'll probably try to rape you so he can force you to marry him the second he gets you alone."

Connie didn't hear whatever else the woman might have said she was too preoccupied with the sound of her own heated blood rushing through her veins. At the woman's cruel words, Conrart's considerable temper finally snapped.

Victoria's had snapped long ago.

Connie took a deep breath and tried to calm herself – as somewhere deep within her soul two enraged voices cried out for blood at the insult to Yozak's honor.

"How dare you!" she hissed, never once raising her voice. "How dare you presume to know anything about Yozak. That peasant soldier has more honor and worth in his little finger then you with your idiotic dowry and lands could ever hope to have! That man survived Luttenburg and fought to protect the country he loves despite the views of self-absorbed, arrogant, bigoted, egotistical inbreed morons like you!" that said she turned on her heel and strode away with as much dignity as she could muster.

Scowling in annoyance she marched down the corridors and turned to head down a stairway with the intention of heading out to the stables and taking a long ride in an attempt at getting both Victoria's and Conrart's strained tempers back under control when the Shinou be damned stiletto-heels her mother had insisted on replacing all of her shoes with – betrayed her.

With a squeak of alarm she went tumbling down the stairs and collided with something hard – and unsettlingly warm

Knocking them both over where they collided with the hard stone floor with enough force to knock the air from her lungs.

And the lungs of the unfortunate person she'd collided with if the 'umph' and the truly odd feeling of someone's breath against her exposed cleavage…

Oh Great One she'd just boob squished someone!

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Yozak could only think one thing.

_**BOOBS!**_

It wasn't that he was perverted or anything.

It was just hard to miss the rather large pair currently on an intercept course with his face.

He fell back, done in by the soft fleshy mounds of his rather erotic doom.

The impact of the hard stone floor coupled with the weight of the woman currently attempting to smother him drove the air from his lungs and he gasped trying desperately to breathe. He froze going through a mental checklist in an attempt to figure out just who had sentenced him to death by boob squish.

Female: No shit

Voluptuous: Very

Clothing: Scandalizingly revealing

Coordination: None in heels

It had taken him less than 2 seconds to figure out exactly who was trying to kill him.

"Connie, I can't breathe." He gasped, attempting to shove his voluptuous friend's bosom off of his face enough to take a breath.

Connie squirmed, as he rather unintentionally groped her, her nipple hardening beneath his palm. He would have cursed if he'd had the breath. Then abruptly there was air, as Connie shifted her weight and held herself up on her arms. He gasped for breath idly considering the minor miracle of the fact that his extended contact with the succulent and tender flesh of her beautiful breasts, hadn't made his manhood stand at strict attention.

He watched his currently beet red friend as she attempted to sit back on her haunches, noting absently that her knees where tucked against his groin. He also noticed when she shifted slightly and caught her skirt under one knee. She squeaked and pitched forward again. The weight of her knee pinning the fabric to the floor and pulling the thin fabric of her lilac dress down enough for him to realize she defiantly wasn't wearing a bra. If the sight of her pert light brown nipples spilling over their fabric restrains were any indication.

That got a 'rise' out of him.

Again she landed breast first on his face.

Without thinking he reached up and carefully pushed her off, leveling her up into a seated position, while trying vainly to ignore the fact that his hands where on her boobs.

As soon as she was situated he pulled his hands away as quickly as if he'd been scalded. It was the only way to keep himself from further investigating them. He'd only just managed to suppress the urge to gently tug at the hard nipples poking out between his fingers.

"You might want to put your breasts away." He said at the same time as she muttered a soft 'sorry'.

She squeaked and hastily shoved herself back into the confines of her overly revealing dress.

"Are you hurt?" He asked concerned.

Connie flushed, "I'm fine, you… um… broke my fall."

Yozak shifted slightly and ignoring the alarmingly obvious tent in his pants and how very uncomfortable his fitted leggings felt as they brushed across the head of his erection. With a soft groan at the prospect of having to further aggravate his tender skin, he rose gracefully to his feet and offered Connie a hand. Noticing as he did so the broken heel of her stiletto.

Connie pulled the offending piece of footwear off wincing as she put her foot back down, before leaning heavily on him so that she could remove the other non-broken heel.

"Did you hurt your ankle?" he asked gently.

She flushed and looked down, "it's fine I just twisted it." She paused and then added. "I'm sorry."

Yozak blinked "For what?"

"That." She replied in an almost shy voice. "I don't blame you, I'm sorry, I know I'm haven't been making things easy for you the past couple of weeks."

Yozak followed the direction of her gaze and felt his ears heat as his eyes landed on his very obvious erection. He sighed, "I'm a big boy Connie, I know how to handle an erection." He paused briefly _well she did bring it up. _He offered her a cheeky grin and made certain she was steady on her feet before pulling away, calling "now if you'll excuse me I need to find the nearest restroom;" back over his shoulder as he left. "Wait for me in the stables Connie; we'll go for that ride."

The last thing he heard was Connie's derisive snort.

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Connie sighed, today had simply been more then she could bear. She didn't think she could face Yozak again. Not now after he'd proven himself so far above lady Alissa's predictions. Connie was utterly humiliated by how badly today had been going. Yozak had had his face buried in her breasts just a few minutes ago, and yet he hadn't touched her in anything beyond an attempt to get her off of him.

It was embarrassing.

_Was there something wrong with her? _

_Ugh! This was such a mess._

Trying not to cry at the thought of what had just happened, she turned and fled down the hall more sure footed on her bare feet then she could ever hope to be in heels. She ran down the corridor until she found it, one of the crests of her nation etched into the seemingly solid stone wall. She darted forward losing herself in the depths of the castle's secret passageways. For a moment she stood still, before the intersection of two very different paths. One would take her down into the Comb and the other would take her out into the stables. Much as she longed for the comfort of the Comb with its living shadows, what she really needed was Conrart. She wouldn't be able to hear him down there. She wasn't strong enough to deal with the distraction of people. For now in order to hear herself think she needed to be alone.

That meant the stables.

She turned left and vanished down the dark corridor, only emerging into the light again when she'd reached the stables. For a moment she stood frozen in place by the odd feeling of straw against her bare feet.

She defiantly wasn't dressed for riding.

But – she just wanted to escape.

Conrart always had been the level headed one.

She made up her mind swiftly and with a sharp whistle she summoned her beloved horse. The mare came gracefully charging into her stall drawing up just short of barreling over her rider. Smiling Connie patted her on the muzzle and glanced around the stall for her actual saddle – not the sidesaddle they had both been forced to endure.

Predictably it was nowhere to be seen.

She glanced up at the mare and considered her options. Where she still physically Conrart – and thus in pants – she would simply have ridden bareback. However now she was a bit more cautious. Glancing around; she spied her little used bareback pad, resting on its peg.

It would have to do.

It only took her a second to swing the thing up onto the Stardust's back and tighten the girth, the breast band soon followed. That accomplished she swung up with an ease and grace granted to her by almost a century spent on horseback. She tucked her feet up out of the way shifting her position on Stardust's back and took a double handful of the mare's beautiful mane before directing her back out into her paddock with her knees.

The mare exited the paddock at a gallop, and cleared the fence with a single eloquent leap. They were out past the palace gates before anyone could react, and Connie gave an exhilarated whoop of joy as Stardust raced through the city headed for the nearest gate.

It had been too long since she'd been allowed to just be.

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Yozak sighed as he made his way down to the stables; he was uncomfortable and more than a bit embarrassed, it was official he didn't have any skin left down there!

Truthfully he felt rather embarrassed for his best friend, it didn't take a genius to deduce the fact that the last few weeks where nothing short of the brunet's worst nightmare. Today's less then socially acceptable incident was likely just the icing on the cake.

It was in Yozak's opinion a minor miracle that Connie hadn't just disappeared into the Comb already. He had to get down to the stables and get his best friend out of the castle soon so she could relax or he didn't know how much longer she _would_ remain above ground.

He'd just excited the palace and entered the courtyard when he noticed 3 men in khaki uniforms, running around like decapitated chickens. He raised an eyebrow at the sight and made his way over to his obviously panicked men. "Report." He said simply trying not to flinch at his own tone of voice.

"We, we lost her sir." Dolan said softly. "One minute her horse was happily chomping on grass in her paddock sir, an' the next thing I know, she an' that damn horse are flying over the fence and gone before we could even get to our horses."

Yozak groaned, he knew his best friend well enough to know were Connie was headed, although he was very amused by the reaction of the three men in front of him. "I thought I told you not to panic if you lost her." He replied with a laugh.

"Don't panic, sir?" Thomas said incredulously. "We just lost Lady Victoria."

Yozak snorted, "I know where she's going." He said mildly, "I just don't know which route she's taking. Calm down, I'll find her- and even if I don't Connie is perfectly capable of taking all four of us on and mopping the floor with us." That said he turned on his heel and walked into the stable to go saddle up his horse.

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Yozak shifted slightly on his branch as he waited for Connie to arrive at the little out of the way forest glean she always seemed to end up in when she was distressed. It was far enough away from the entrance to the Comb that she only came here when she wasn't going there and the lake provided the perfect backdrop.

It was a beautiful afternoon and he knew that Connie and Stardust would make a lovely sight as they rode up to meet him.

After about four hours of waiting he was getting bored, but he knew his friend would arrive soon. Finally after about another hour of waiting he spied her from his vantage point. The girl and the horse where coming in at a fast pace, but Stardust looked unfazed by the exercise. He was about to drop down out of the tree when he was suddenly confronted with the rather tantalizing knowledge that the woman he loved was not wearing underwear!

The dress her mother had designed while ordinarily leaving nothing to the imagination was swept back by the wind, one fold of the skirt riding high up on Connie's tight thighs. The woman was currently ridding astride and from his vantage point he could see the soft down covered folds of her sex, just a few shades lighter than her horse's mane, peeking out from under her skirt.

He felt his body react, getting painfully hard in the few seconds it took for him to make his discovery and for cognitive thought to return enough for him to realize he should avert his eyes and get out of the tree. His throbbing manhood protested, and he couldn't help wishing that the horse wasn't what Connie was currently riding.

He tried desperately to get rid of the carnal images of Connie astride his lap with his manhood buried inside those soft folds, his hands gripping her hips as he helped her to fuck herself on his hard shaft.

It wasn't working and to his utter humiliation he was hard and had a sizable, but thankfully not noticeable, wet spot in his pants when Connie rode up to him.

Without thinking he reached up grabbed her skirt in one hand and hastily put the thin lilac fabric back where it belonged, shielding his best friend from his own predatory gaze.

It didn't really help.

"Yozak?" Connie asked softly, noting his flustered appearance and raising an eyebrow at his fidgeting. "Are you alright?"

Yozak covered his eyes while pinching the bridge of his nose and inquired, "Connie, why are you not wearing any form of undergarments today?" in the most squeaky tone of voice to pass his lips since puberty.

Connie blinked, "Blame mother. Wait, how do you know I'm not wearing underwear?" she demanded crossing her arms over her lap.

Yozak snorted derisively, "At the speed you were going your dress was around your waist."

Connie squeaked, and clamped her hands over her groin, her cheeks turning redder then Yozak's hair. "You didn't see _Anything." _She hissed.

Yozak offered her a cheeky grin, and reached out put his hands at her hips and lifted her out of her saddle. "Your right," he said mildly as he set her down on her feet. "I didn't see anything," he patted her on the shoulder as she sighed in relief "I saw _everything."_

Connie squeaked, and leaning forward to rest her forehead on his chest said "Oh, Great One this is just not my day," in a tantalizingly soft tone of voice.

He patted her awkwardly on the back, when she glanced up at him shyly and offered him a small smile that melted his heart despite her fierce blush. "And I'm sorry I'm making this not be your day either." She said gesturing towards his straining erection.

Yozak sighed, "It'll go away if I ignore it."

She smiled and took a step back and into the light, he squeaked a soft 'excuse me" before bolting off into the forest when he realized her dress became see-through in sunlight. After a few weeks of almost constant stimuli, he needed to find a place to handle his problem before he embarrassed himself by coming in his pants like a pubescent boy.

A slip, he was defiantly going to have to teach Connie how to use a slip!

He only just had enough time to get his clothing out of the way before the touch of his own skin against his weeping member overcame him and he came explosively.

He stood there for a moment trying to collect himself before he was finally able to tuck himself back into his leggings and head back to Connie's side. As soon as he saw her he pulled off his tunic and handed it to her, he only hoped he could get her to put it on without having to further embarrass them both.

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A.N sorry for the long wait writers block and school and work anyway review please give my muse a kick please she's been sleeping on the job.

Sambi Note: We give you a long chapter to make up for the wait. Oh and just in case any of you were wondering or even cared Connie has been female for a month by the end of this chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Yozak smiled as he went through his wardrobe looking for some clothing suitable for the excursion he had planned for the day. He pulled bits and pieces from the majority of his costumes, in an attempt to make a passable outfit for a lady's maid. It would be easier to handle the day's activities if he went either as Connie's lady in waiting, or as her Lady's maid. It would simply look odd if she went shopping for a new wardrobe with her male best friend.

However he would have to be very careful with his costume, careful enough to fool his own men. Since he highly doubted any of them would approve of his actually going into the shops with Connie. Which he would have to because, the fact was that Connie had no idea how to be a female, and she certainly didn't know how to dress like one.

It took him the better part of an hour to put together a costume that would fool anyone, although he'd be floored if it actually managed to fool Conrart…Connie, he'd die of shock. Conrart had always recognized him, even when he'd temporarily stained his hair black for 3 months. Conrart was Connie; as such he knew his friend would recognize him.

He pulled on the red skirt, and a white shirt before lacing up a brown bodice to hold in his fake breasts. He surveyed himself in the full-length mirror that had been a gift from Conrart years ago. After a few minutes Yozak decided to add a short white apron for authenticity. Deftly he tied the apron around his waist, and glared at his reflection – it just wasn't enough, there was something missing.

Then he realized it, he needed to do something with his hair.

First he tried what Conrart had once termed a 'French braid' but that didn't really work. Carefully he unbound his hair and considered it, after a moment he pulled the hair back into two small pigtails.

He looked positively – ridiculous.

Maybe if he covered his hair with a scarf…

It only took him a minute to fish the scarlet scarf Conrart had given him last mid winter out of his clothing chest. That done he carefully unbound and brushed his hair so that it fell around his face and shoulders in ridiculously fluffy curls. He folded the scarf neatly and tied it around his head tucking the aggravating hairdo away – consciously imitating a woman who believed her hair to be her least flattering point.

He nodded satisfied with the basics of his costume. Now he just needed to add the finer touches.

Which meant –

Makeup

He shuddered at the thought of his old makeup.

He'd had two different kinds, to begin with. The dirt cheap stuff he'd procured in the pleasure district of the poorest sector of the capital city – were no one asked questions because no one really cared how you earned your bread, and the hard to apply crap he'd gotten in the middle district where people where neither poor nor disturbingly wealthy. As such they'd catered to everyone from the average house wife of an inn keep to the wealthy business men and gem traders.

The latter being an over dried, rock hard, version of what the noble ladies used, requiring a few well paced strikes of a stone pestle before the 'cake' would brake enough for its owner to put a small piece (the size of his thumb) into the mortar so it could be pulverized into a fine powder. The former on the other hand was an over moist, gloopy mess that actually had to be dried out before it could be caked on like icing on a confection. It also clogged the pores for months unless one scrubbed themselves pink with a stiff brush, a hand full of sand and a lot of hot water. Either way they took hours of preparation before they could be applied.

The stuff the nobles used – which he had thanks to Conrart – was already a fine powder, came in a small footed porcelain box, and came with a soft fur bristle brush for application. The best part was it washed off easily – all he needed was a quick moment and a damp rag and he could go from high born lady back to himself.

With a bit of a groan he pulled out the cheaper stuff, that he kept pre-pulverized for such an occurrence, and tried not to laugh at the memory of the night he and Conrart had spent locked in his quarters pounding 6 cakes of it into submission.

Conrart had looked utterly ridiculous with flecks of rouge in his hair.

And while he was on the subject of makeup he was going to have to teach Connie how to use the stuff.

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Gwendal glared at the pile of bids that were just beginning to appear on his desk. Apparently several men had gotten a glimpse of his sister and had already started placing their opening bids. All of the bids came with attached notes that basically said the bids were subject to change based upon Connie's performance at the ball itself.

This was good – he supposed.

Still the person he actually wanted to bid had yet to do so and it irked him.

Although he had to admit the fact that he already had bids stacking up for his sister amused him to no end since the paperwork hadn't even go through the king yet.

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Connie was beyond annoyed, her mother had cornered her before she could escape the dining room this morning, and now she found herself standing on a stool in her room partly surrounded by three full length mirrors wearing nothing more than her underwear. Apparently her mother wanted her try out the 'skeletons' of the many different dress varieties she'd had the seamstress come up with for her upcoming ball. Connie wanted to gag. She despised dresses. Honestly, she had lived her life as a man until not too long ago; 135 years of habit didn't simply change overnight despite what everyone seemed to think. Why did they all seem to have an obsession with putting her in a dress? Gisela wore pants, why couldn't she? She was not a giant dress up doll. Why did everyone insist on treating her like one? It was damned annoying and everyone was doing it.

Even Yozak to some extent seemed to enjoy dressing her up like a damned porcelain doll.

After a few minutes there was a knock at her door and her mother went to answer it, vetoing the rather conservative – if still to revealing for Connie's taste – dress the seamstress and her assistants currently had her in. She shifted uncomfortably as the assistants peeled the thing off of her, listening to the voices coming from the other room.

"Morning ma'am, I've come to collect her ladyship we was to go into town today;" murmured a soft effeminate voice.

"Lady Victoria, will not be able to go into town right now. I'm afraid I've commandeered her for a few hours – fittings for the ball I'm afraid, but do come in we can always use another woman's opinion." Her mother replied mildly before dragging the protesting maid in by her wrist.

Flame blue eyes widened at the sight of her – or rather her current state of undress and Connie ducked her head in humiliation. She wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and out of sight, before the fierce blush she could feel rising could reach her face.

Why did she have to be in her underwear?

"Yoz –zy," she gasped, "I'm sorry I forgot to have a page notify you of the change in plans. Take the morning off, I'll meet you at noon. We can go then."

Yozak, his eyes still wide enough that Connie feared they would fall out of his head – nodded vigorously and bolted with a lot of 'Yes ma'am's'.

Briefly Connie wondered why her best friend was currently dressed in drag, then she dismissed it – she'd know soon enough.

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Yozak paced back and forth in front of his favorite spot in the palace gardens, trying desperately to think of something other than Connie's beautiful body clad in nothing more than her lace, nude*, noble issue underwear.

It wasn't working

It wasn't working at all.

To make matters worse, he'd already seen Connie naked – thrice – so his mind kept alternating between what he'd actually seen in her room, and well… filling in the blanks.

He was painfully hard –

- and leaking.

Yozak bit his lip and glancing up at his favorite tree branch in an old oak, with its stash of hidden art supplies, he sighed made his decision he had to take care of his current rock hard problem before he ruined his dress. Besides he couldn't exactly climb that tree now without hurting himself. Turning on his heel, Yozak headed back to the room he still hadn't moved out of to handle his problem.

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Connie raised an eyebrow at the monstrosity of a dress that the seamstress had unearthed from the mound of them on her bed. For all intents and purposes it was a halter top with an inch wide collar, which buttoned at the base of her neck. From there the fabric fell just past her butt.

"Um, wouldn't it be more productive to let me put on the skirt before you start the adjustments?" she asked when her mother began dictating the changes to be made to what she assumed was the top of the outfit her mother had designed.

Lady Cecilia chuckled, "this is a dress dear; it doesn't have a skirt."

"This is a dress?" she enquired skeptically.

"Yes dear."

"Where's the rest of it?" Connie demanded after a minute.

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Yozak smiled to himself as he scaled the large old tree. He and Conrart … Connie now he guessed, had played here often as small children. Conrart had even chosen his rooms because they overlooked their favorite spot in the gardens.

It only took him a minute to reach his favorite perch in the old tree. He pulled himself up, crouching on the branch as he liberated his art supplies from the hollow in the trunk. And smiled when he pulled out a small parcel wrapped in brown paper, Conrart had often left little gifts for him here. Mostly expensive jewelry and hair pieces that he could use as a spy – but occasionally they were just trinkets, like the little crystal fox statue he'd found there a year ago.

It was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand but it was probably one of the most expensive things he owned. Particularly when one considered the fact that the fox's stockings were solid gold. It was probably worth more than he'd earn in a year.

He swallowed wondering when Connie had found the time to get him anything with all of the crap she'd been going through, since turning into a woman. Smiling he tucked the parcel into his blouse, and pulled out his art supplies. It had been a while since he'd had time to draw. Tucking the supplies under his arm he turned and settled himself down on the branch his back resting against the trees thick trunk. He pulled the package out after placing his drawing supplies on his lap; deftly he unwrapped it and gasped at what he revealed.

A matched pair of hair sticks, made out of blue amber, lay on a small black velvet covered sketchbook.

"Oh Connie," Yozak whispered as he held one up to the light marveling at the beautiful golden amber color it turned. Carefully he placed the beautiful hair ornaments down into the folds of his skirt and picked up the little book. It was soft beneath his fingers and he couldn't help the small smile that played on his face at the feel of its weight in his hands. Carefully he opened it and gazed upon the sketch on the inside cover.

It was a soft pastel working

And he recognized Conrart's hand in the style.

Underneath the pastel drawing of Conrart and himself playing around the very tree he was currently sitting in, there was a short message.

_I'm sorry, can we still be friends?_

It was dated a couple of days before he'd come home.

"We will always be friends Conrart." He whispered before closing the book, placing the hair sticks on top and carefully rewrapping the bundle in its paper and twine package. Much as he wanted to they were far too fancy for a lady's made to wear. He'd have to take them back to his rooms.

He was just about to climb down from his perch when Connie's voice, rang out from her window.

"Where's the rest of it?"

Without thinking he turned and looked in the direction of her rooms. He didn't expect to see anything more than Connie's empty window seat.

Lest of all her reflection fully displayed in one of the massive mirrors the seamstresses had carried into her rooms.

_How in the hell is Cecilia expecting Connie to sit in that thing? _He wondered even as he opened his sketchbook and pulled one of the graphite drawing pencils -Conrart had gotten for him on his latest trip to earth – out of its little metal case and began to sketch.

He couldn't help it, she was so beautiful.

Carefully he sketched his best friend in every dress he saw her in adding his own commentary on the dresses under each image.

_I wonder if the fairy they stole that from will want it back._

_Does Cecilia even realize Connie will be going down stairs? It would be easy to see her underwear from below._

_Looks like the fabric exploded_

_Didn't think it was possible, but that dress makes her look fat!_

_I like the top, but the skirt looks like the seamstress's greenest apprentice went to town on it!_

_Oy_

_Not bad – but what is that thing attacking her arm?_

_Even Gwendal would find that dress conservative_

_Who cut off the front of the skirt?_

_Oh Great One is the seamstress colorblind or was she trying to make a dress from scrap material_

_That one looks like it will fall of the second she moves_

_Can she even breathe in that?_

_Will that skirt even fit out the door?_

After a while he began carefully sketching a dress that combined all of the best features of the monstrosities Cecilia's seamstresses had dreamed up. He smirked as he thought about how glade he was that Connie moved away from the mirrors to change gowns or he'd be a 'Peeping Tom'-

In a dress

That would just be weird.

He sighed leaning back against the trunk, they must be done, Connie hadn't reappeared in a few minutes and Lady Cecilia tended to make alterations with her standing in front of the mirrors so he knew it wasn't that.

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"No they're just not right," Cecilia said with a dejected sigh; and Connie felt herself relax. She was going to have to go into town and change the base color of her guard's uniforms by two shades so that she wouldn't be forced to wear kaki. Then she would have a few new uniforms made up for her, and add a few dress uniforms to the list.

If she was going to be forced into a marriage she didn't want she was going to let the men know what they were getting and what they were getting into.

She would be nobody's meek wife to be pushed around.

She was the Lion of Luttenburg.

If the men wanted to wed the Lion of Luttenburg

They were going to get the Lion of luttenburg

In all of her stubborn glory

"Do you have that other dress I ordered made?" her mother asked calmly.

Connie froze and tried not to cry when the seamstress replied "My lady you can't be serious, it's not appropriate for a ball, the child's engagement night perhaps; but not her coming out ball."

"My Victoria has a beautiful figure, she should show it off." She said in a quiet voice, "did you bring it?"

"Yes my lady," the seamstress replied shooting Connie an apologetic look.

Connie suppressed the urge to groan at the sight of the insanely small dress bag the thing was wrapped in. The lady unwrapped it carefully revealing an undyed dress that was more strategically placed fabric then actual dress.

"_I am not wearing that!"_ She shrieked.

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Yozak tucked his drawing supplies away and had only just taken out the last gift Conrart would ever give him, when he heard Connie's undignified shriek. He pivoted around instinctively on the branch and looked up towards his friend's window, while tucking his friend's last gift into his blouse for safekeeping. A moment later he caught sight of Connie's reflection in the window and gasped.

_I hope that's the slip, _he thought the second he laid eyes on the garment she was wearing. _It leaves _very_ little to the imagination._

He was actually thankful when Connie turned around giving him a clear view of her bare back.

He didn't think it was even remotely possible for that dress to be more revealing. A minute later he discovered how wrong he was when Cecilia turned Connie to face the mirrors so she could see the alterations.

_I stand corrected that dress leaves nothing to the imagination and …_

_Now I need to change my underwear._


	11. Chapter 11

Connie sighed as she sat next to her best friend in the carriage that they were using to take them into town. She was happy she was finally going to be able to procure clothing she actually liked. She'd have gone shopping on her own a while ago but she still wasn't comfortable with the whole female thing and going out in public was not something she was really comfortable with as of yet. She glanced over at Yozak and couldn't help smiling at her dress clad friend. She was glad he was coming with her; she didn't think she could handle this on her own.

It didn't take long for them to reach the market district by carriage, but Connie couldn't help thinking it would have been faster if they'd taken their horses.

But no, a lady and her maid didn't ride horses they rode in all the sordid luxury of a pompous overly lavish carriage.

The last time she'd ridden in a carriage her father had still been alive.

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Yozak smiled to himself as he helped Connie down out of the carriage. She looked eloquent as always, clad in a light blue satin dress with a slit up to her hip. It was one of her mother's designs, and thus she was not entirely comfortable in it. However the few outfits he'd altered for her where dirty, and a lady didn't wear the same dirty outfit multiple days in a row. Although he got the idea that Connie would have done it regardless if her mother hadn't monopolized her morning.

"Were to first, my Lady?" he enquired keeping himself in character.

Connie sighed, "If I'm going to be trying on clothing I'm going to be comfortable while I do it." She replied, "Yozzy, let's find a vender that sells readymade garments."

Yozak nodded, "this way my Lady." He replied in a soft effeminate voice; then he raised an eyebrow at her, "Yozzy, my Lady?" he enquired with a wicked grin.

"It was all I could think of at the time." Connie replied softly. "I'm afraid you're stuck with it now."

Yozak laughed and led his friend through the market to the venders that sold woman's clothing.

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Connie sighed as she considered her current lack of wardrobe. She'd be damned if she was going to wear this dress even a second longer then she absolutely had to. She slipped quietly into a store that sold clothing, with Yozak at her side and began to brose. Yozak had taken pains to bring her to the area of the shopping district where the upper and middle distracts met, providing her with a plethora of clothing choices and styles to choose from. Everything from woman's dresses to custom made lady's gowns, to shoes and hats, and everything else she could possibly have wanted.

Truthfully all she wanted was some pants.

She looked around the shop they were currently in, trying to decide how well she wanted to dress for this occasion. Both options had their share of pros and cons. If she went as Cecilia's daughter, she would undoubtedly attract attention, but no one would bother trying to talk her out of any dress she felt like buying regardless of the cost of the fabric. However she would have a hell of a time getting in and out of her own clothing without help, and she'd be stunned beyond words if people didn't talk or scold her when she bought the type of clothing she actually wanted. On the other hand if she played down her rank she would run into issues with fabric choices, among other things. She knew from experience that venders simply wouldn't show her certain fabrics styles and what not, that they considered to be out of her price range based on first impressions.

She'd have to find the right balance of simple yet rich

She seriously hated being female!

No one scolded Conrart if he felt like wearing a silk undershirt with his military uniform, but she couldn't wear pants.

She was beginning to understand Anissina, the double standard was absolutely absurd!

She'd bought a few 'beautiful dresses' in her time as Conrart – and everyone had simply assumed he was courting some pretty lady. He remembered the comments on 'his excellent taste'. She still had one or two of those beautiful dresses hidden away were the maids wouldn't find them.

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Yozak tried desperately to keep the blush off his face after he'd been forced into a dressing room 'to help her lady with her clothing' by the owner of the establishment. Connie was equally red faced. Well it wasn't like he was going to be seeing his friend nude – just in her underwear – and honestly it couldn't be as bad as the time she'd been riding without any underwear, or the time she'd fallen down the stairs and tried to suffocate him with her voluptuous breasts –

or the bath incident for that matter.

He'd just have to turn away when she was changing.

He finished unlacing the ties in the back of the dress and was utterly flabbergasted when the dress simply fell off despite the fact that Connie had been attempting to hold it in place. Apparently the thing was more strategically placed ribbon then dress.

Poor Connie was beyond red, and he was fairly certain he'd forgotten how to breathe – Connie's undergarments might as well have not been there for all the protection they offered against his imagination.

"You call that underwear?" he hissed.

Connie snorted derisively, "no the rest of the noble women call this underwear, I call it strategically placed lace."

"I have to disagree, it's more like 'strategically _absent_ lace'," Yozak replied in a condescending whisper through clenched teeth. "I call it arousing as all fuck."

The smirk on Connie's face was downright evil. "In that dress, I can't tell."

"How about now?" Yozak asked in a mockingly seductive tone, as he pulled Connie's mostly nude form up against his chest. He took a perverse amount of pleasure in the cute little squeak the action got out of her.

"So," he asked after a few seconds of letting her feel what she did to him. "I think we should start with new underwear."

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Connie sighed as she left yet another store; she never had much cared for shopping past getting what she needed. She now had several new dresses on order along with a few blouses and some 'hard riding clothing' – it was the only way she'd been able to have any of the clothiers make her some pants. She'd also ordered a few coats and a jacket or two.

She was quite pleased with the things she had managed to acquire this afternoon. The outfit she was currently wearing for example was simple but its expense could be seen in the quality and cut of the fabric. Purples were exceedingly difficult to dye and the particular shade of purple that made up her silk skirts was referred to as 'royal purple' for a reason. He white silk shirt was accented by the corset like leather belt that was made out of a much lighter shade of purple – in fact it was almost lavender – and it accentuated her every curve.

No one had argued with her when she had asked for anything, and no one had dared to second guess her decisions on fabric cut or style this afternoon.

Connie smiled, as she suddenly remembered that before this whole being turned into a woman thing happened she had completely destroyed three of her uniforms and had ordered their replacements. The clothier for the cavalry was not far away – only a few blocks actually. She was going to go and pick up her uniforms and hopefully have them altered. If they refused she'd just have to find a way to alter them to fit on her own.

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Yozak suppressed a groan when he realized exactly where Conrar- Connie was headed; he needed to redirect her at least long enough for him to change now that the rest of her guard had caught up. Wesley was the only person he knew –baring Conrart – who could see through his every disguise. Probably because he'd known them both since they hid inside of his store in an attempt to escape from Stoffel after the apple sauce incident when they were about 40. The man had been sort of like an uncle or a big brother to him for years, and usually gave him a hard time when he was in a dress. "Connie," he said gently. "Do you mind if we take a detour? I'd really rather _not _have to explain the reason why I'm following a female you around in a dress."

Connie chuckled lightly, "alright." She replied allowing herself to be led in another direction.

Yozak smiled as he led her down a familiar side street towards the street were the jewelers had their stalls. Connie paused clearly startled and he gave her the smallest of shoves to get her going. She offered him a small smile as they walked. "I thought maybe you could use your impeccable taste in jewelry to get some for yourself rather than me." He said with a grin as he led her up to the first stall, he stood at her side for a while silently watching her face light up as she inspected the many works of art. After a few minutes he took his leave but not before covertly slipping her a knife.

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Wesley glanced up as a young woman who he assumed to be Lady Weller walked into his shop with Yozak at her side and an entourage of guards. He inclined his head towards the lady before heading off to gather the uniforms he'd just finished making for her personal guards. He was rather startled when she called him back and calmly informed him of a small but aggravating change she was having made to the uniforms.

She wanted the color changed.

He sighed, "I'm sorry my lady but my orders come from Lord von Voltaire, the Lord Marshal, only Lord Weller himself can rescind them."

The lady looked rather severely annoyed, and Yozak blanched. She opened he mouth to respond but fell silent when Yozak laid one large hand on her slim shoulder. "He doesn't know who you are. I know you hate this entire fiasco but snapping at Wesley isn't going to improve the situation or your frayed temper Conrart."

Wesley sputtered, _that was Lord Weller? What the hell?_

The young woman sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Forgive me Wesley. It has been a trying few weeks, and I still haven't gotten used to this."

"Understandable," Wesley replied mildly. "I'd be in a right state if I suddenly lost my bits and pieces and developed … well."

Yozak snorted, "Eloquent as ever, I see."

"Oh like you reacted any better I suppose." Wesley retorted sharply.

Conrart chuckled the once deep tenor turning into a higher effeminate noise, which was simultaneously cute and unnerving. "Actually he handled it rather well, considering the fact that I was hysterical … not to mention naked."

Wesley sputtered, startled that the young lord would admit to such, but then he'd seen the way these two where together numerous times so it really shouldn't have surprised him. "Well I'm sure you didn't come here just to give an old man a heart attack so what can I do ya for? Oh and your uniforms are ready and waiting for you when _Lord _Weller is back to pick them up."

Conrart sighed, "Much as I hate to admit it, the change is permanent; any chance I can get them now?"

Wesley blinked; shame to waste such a good military officer. "While I have no problem with that Conrart I doubt any of it would fit ya now. The pants I could take in, but there's nothing that can be done for the shirts. Ya take after your lady mother in some regards after all."

The young woman groaned, "Take in the leggings then and I'll just have to content myself with pants and blouses for now."

Wesley nodded, "Ya wouldn't happen to know your measurements would ya?"

To his great surprise Yozak rattled them off without even pausing to think about it. "And how do ya be knowing that lad? Ye aint been molesting the poor lass have ya?"

"We've been shopping all day," Yozak snapped, his cheeks coloring at the suggestion.

Conrart snorted, "That and you fixed the grain sacks Gwendal called dresses."

Yozak smiled. "That too," he admitted with a soft laugh.

Wesley rolled his eyes at their antics. "So ya wanted the color changed?"

Conrart's eyes lit up at that and he remembered just how much the boy hated kaki. "Could you maybe darken them to sand?" he asked.

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Yozak sipped his tea and played with the pink lace doily on his saucer. When they were younger he'd often wondered why Conrart would consistently drag him into _this _tea shop, with its flowery bone china tea sets, pink silk doilies and garden crammed full of nothing but pink and lavender roses. Now …well he suspected that Tori was the one who'd been dragging him into this shop for years. He had to admit he felt simultaneously more comfortable and uncomfortable sitting in the admittedly romantic themed shop with this version of his best friend.

Coming here with Conrart had always made him feel slightly … well awkward. He'd always enjoyed Conrart's company but there had been times when the other man's quarks just didn't match his personality. In and of itself that was weird. He'd always thought that when one twin died their personality was so fully integrated with the surviving twin that they meshed seamlessly – but then Connie had feared the consequences of appearing even remotely effeminate so he guessed it wasn't surprising that Connie had suppressed anything she'd thought to be too girly.

He couldn't help wondering if the two souls that made up Connie would mesh seamlessly now that his best-friend wasn't living every day in fear of her life. He knew what it was like to live in a world where one wrong step could get you killed. It wasn't an existence he'd wish on anyone let alone his best friend.

He smiled when Connie passed him one of the ridiculously fluffy chocolate and cherry confections she was so found of.

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Connie smiled as she walked quietly down the street with Yozak. Despite this morning's torture by dress fittings today had been a good day.

Abruptly she tripped, somehow managing to catch the stubby heal of her shoe on the hem of her skirts and went down hard. Years of training doing little to prevent her imminent reintroduction to the floor, her center of gravity was simply too different from what it had once been. Yozak's reactions on the other hand suffered from no such impediment. He twisted around and reached out his hands catching open air where her arms would have been before she'd switched genders. He didn't have time to compensate before they collided, lips first into what was probably the most awkward kiss either of them had ever had.

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Yozak sighed; he didn't think he'd ever had such an awkward carriage ride with his best-friend before. Neither of them had brought up their impromptu and entirely unintentional kiss; however it lingered between them like small hand thrown oil-bomb. He swallowed, "Connie, about that kiss -"

"Let's just forget it Yozak." She interrupted softly.

_Well that went well._

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Wolfram sighed as he rode into the palace courtyard. He had to admit he was still pretty annoyed with Gwendal. Getting a letter from his uncle Waltrana demanding he come home and explain exactly what he had done to 'so greatly annoy the Lord of the house von Voltaire' had not exactly been the highlight of his last couple of months. It had been a cleaver plan to get him off of Conrart's back he was sure of it. But it wasn't going to work – he was going to get his brother the help he needed even if it cost him the fragile truce they'd managed to obtain since Yurri took the throne!

He simply had to

He couldn't stand the idea of losing Conrart again

Not like that

Now he just had to find his brother.

Or Yozak – Yozak would know where Conrart was hiding even if no one else did and if the man wouldn't tell then he'd just have to guard Anissina's lab.

Conrart couldn't do drugs if he couldn't get his hands on them.

As luck would have it he spotted Yozak in the courtyard, helping a beautiful young woman out of a carriage. He headed over to the other man; it was time to find out what he knew. Conrart couldn't be doing drugs without his best friend and nearly constant companion the current spymaster of Shin Makoku knowing about it.

He was such an idiot

Why hadn't he thought of it before?

Yozak was obviously in on it.

At the very least he was helping the other man conceal his habit.

After all what sort of friend wouldn't take his concerns seriously unless he was in just as deep

He'd have to keep his eye on that lowborn hooligan!

"Yozak, have you seen Conrart?" he asked feeling mildly amused when the young lady hid behind Yozak.

Yozak shifted slightly to the left and looped an arm around the young girl's waist. "Yah he's right here."

"Are you doing drugs too? That's not Conrart, that's a girl!"

"Wolfram Belinda von Belifeild, for the last time I am not on drugs!" the young woman snapped.

Wolfram blanched at the sound of his hated middle name. "Don't call me that!" he shrieked, before abruptly falling silent. Only four people knew his middle name: his mother, his uncle and elder brothers. "Conrart?" he demanded in shock feeling his jaw hit the floor. "See you are on drugs, they turned you into a girl! How long is it going to take Anissina to fix this? She can fix this right?"

"Okay fine, you win I was on drugs," Conrart replied calmly, "but they turned me into a _guy_."

"See I was right you were – wait what?" Wolfram sputtered after realizing what she'd just said.

Conrart snorted, and Yozak piped up with "meet your sister Victoria Conradane Weller. Call her Connie though."

Connie sighed, and rolled her eyes.

Wolfram swallowed a sharp retort, "let me get this strait," he said in a sharper tone then he truly intended to use. "I don't have two elder brothers; I have an elder brother and an elder sister?"

"That's right." Conrar- Connie replied softly.

"Does mother know about this?" he demanded shrilly the question not registering as idiotic until after it was out of his mouth.

Yozak and Connie both snorted in mild amusement. "I should think so." Connie replied softly. "She did give birth to me."

Wolfram rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Gwendal?" he asked softly.

"Yes Gwendal knows as well." Connie replied easily.

Wolfram steamed. "What about Stoffel?" he growled

Connie glanced over at Yozak, "No," she replied mildly. "Stoffel still doesn't know."

"Let me get this straight, my brother Conrart is my sister Victoria, who until a few months ago I didn't even know existed?" he shrieked. "Why am I just finding this out?" he demanded when the two nodded.

Connie sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Because I- as royally fucked up as my life was – I – I wanted to be alive to live it."

Wolfram felt as if he had been slapped. He could very clearly remember being angry at Conrart for not telling him that his father was human, he remembered yelling at Conrart and calling him a 'dirty half-human' just as he remembered telling him he wanted nothing to do with him and being angry when Conrart had run off with his friends. He'd been so hurt and angry that he'd stormed out after his brother and told the other boys that Conrart was half-human before turning and walking away.

Half-breed, likes other guys…and so many other embarrassing facts he'd told Conrart's few friends over the years whenever he was mad at him. He remembered telling one of Conrart's friends, that Conrart had a crush on him one day in a fit of rage. He also remembered the fact that their friendship had ended that day, and thinking that 'Weller' deserved the bruises he'd seen the net day for lying to him.

If he'd known, would he have told someone as soon as he got mad at Connie? He'd like to think that he wouldn't… but-

He took a deep breath. "I understand," he said softly.

For a moment he simply stood there trying to wrap his mind around … everything, and then a small movement caught his eye. Yozak was rubbing Conrart's hip. "Hey!" he snapped "Stop molesting my sister!"

Yozak raised an eyebrow. "I'm not molesting her." He retorted mildly running his hands slowly up her stomach to her breasts and back down past her hips. "This is molesting."

Wolfram gathered fire in his hands and almost lobbed it at the irritating red head when it occurred to him that he might hit the sister he was supposed to be protecting. Irritated beyond words he turned on his heal and with a deafening shout of "GWENDAL" stormed into the castle to have Yozak strung up by his intestines.

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Connie tried desperately to suppress her laughter as Wolfram stormed away in a huff and Yozak pulled his hands away from her body – not that he'd even been touching her. His hands had been far enough away from her body the entire time that Wolfram could have seen through the spy's teasing if he'd actually paid attention.

"Help me put my stuff away?" she asked as Yozak's arm came to rest around her shoulders, at least Wolfram had managed to break the awkwardness between them.

Yozak laughed, "it would be my honor to help you put away your things m'lady." He replied with good humor. "However you are handling your under-things… I'm running out of clean pants."

"Yozak." She squeaked.

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A.N. At last the day is complete. Sorry it took so long my muse ran away.


	12. Chapter 12

Gwendal sighed, it had been a week since his little brother's return to the palace, and the boy was driving him out of his mind!

For some reason he couldn't fathom – the boy was utterly convinced that their sister was being molested by Yozak.

As if Victoria would ever allow it.

She may not have known the first thing about being a woman, but she was not about to allow herself to be molested – least of all by the captain of her own Guard. Yet the boy had been in his office on a daily basis complaining about how Yozak was molesting her. It didn't matter how many times he told the boy he was out of his mind if he thought Yozak was trying to get into Tori's skirts; the boy kept insisting that Yozak was being in appropriate.

"If I talk to Yozak would it make you feel better?" he demanded.

Wolfram gapped at him. "You're planning to ask Yozak if he's molesting our sister? Do you have any idea how stupid that is? Do you honestly think that … that pervert will give you a straight answer?"

"Fine," he snapped, "I'll talk to Victoria."

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Connie glared at her trader of an elder brother. She could not believe the unmitigated gall of the man in front of her. The pretentious ass was the entire reason she was in this … predicament, and yet here he was pretending to be concerned for her wellbeing and all but accusing her best friend and only support in this idiotic situation of molesting her.

As if she needed protecting from Yozak.

The idea was preposterous.

Let alone when presented by the arrogant, egotistical, male chauvinist, _prat_ that was currently sullying her sitting room with his very presence.

She'd be damned, before she tolerated his presence any longer.

"Your concern for my welfare is _touching, _Lord von Voltaire. However it is unnecessary, and wholly unwanted. Frankly your concern for my welfare would have been better spent some time ago before you elected to act in a manor better befitting an arrogant, egotistical, pompously ostentatious prig and force me into a role I am not only ill suited for but would rather have done without entirely. Now please remove yourself from my quarters; your presence is unwelcome!" she spat through gritted teeth.

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Gwendal flinched as the door to his little sister's room slammed shut, echoing down the hallway with the finality of their strained relationship.

_Well that went well, _he thought sarcastically as he turned and headed back towards his office. _At least this time she didn't_ _throw anything at me._

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Yozak sat quietly on Connie's sofa, watching the young woman pace the length of her room as she ranted about Gwendal and how much she hated being female.

"It's not fair!" she finished. Flopping down beside him, and curling up around one of the throw pillows in complete and utter defiance of etiquette. "I hate this."

Yozak sighed and carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I know you hate being forced into a role you don't feel you're suited for." He said gently, noting Connie's tears with growing sorrow and ill ease.

"Why did they do this to me?" she asked after a moment. "I can't be a woman I don't know how. I don't want to know how. Why are they forcing me to be something I'm not? I'm not suited for this life. I don't want to learn any of the worthless crap they want me to learn. Bone, ecru, eggshell – who gives a shit; it's white, fucking white! I hate this, I'm a fucking emotional wreck and I hate it. I want to be me again, I was never this emotional. This is all Tori's fault; I was never this emotional before!"

Yozak gave her a small reassuring squeeze. "I know you dislike being a woman, now" he said gently. "But you were born a girl. I doubt that 'Tori' is truly this emotional on her own. You've had to give up so much to survive Connie, even as Conrart. I think that given time you'll find out who Connie is, and I'm sure that you will find her to be an outstanding person. Don't give up on finally being able to be yourself, just because things are a little rocky now."

"A little?" she asked incredulously.

Yozak chuckled, "okay a lot."

After a few minutes of silence Connie sighed, "Thank you." She replied softly, "for everything."

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Yurri glared at his elder brother as they both stepped into the kiddy-pool in his backyard. He'd had no intention of bringing Shori back with him but the man was determined to accompany him back to Shin Makoku – in order to 'ensure that their government was running smoothly'. No amount of reminding the man that he knew absolutely nothing about Shin Makoku's politics let alone her policies would dissuade him. So here they were ankle deep in water, waiting for Murata.

It was rare for the other boy to be so late.

He'd already kept them waiting a good fifteen minutes.

Minutes that he'd used trying to convince Shori that he didn't need a royal babysitter.

Gwendal and Conrad were perfectly capable of pointing out when he was about to put his royal foot into it.

He'd said as much but that only served to make Shori feel that he needed to ensure that his 'underlings knew their place.' Frankly the man was grinding Yuri's last nerve. If his brother stepped out of line so help him he was sending the man home.

Murata chose that moment to finally show up, holding a water tight plastic tub containing a bag with a logo from a local beauty shop.

"What's with the beauty supplies?" Yuri asked as the other boy stripped down to his swim trunks and climbed into the pool.

Murata offered him his trademark smile the light flashing off of his glasses. "A gift for the Lady Weller." He said simply.

"Lady Weller?" he asked in surprise. "Is Conrad getting married?"

"Not for some time yet." Murata replied, "Weller must first accept what has happened."

Shori raised an eyebrow, "an arranged marriage? Good, that will clear the way for my beloved brother to get a competent guard, one who won't let him get into so much trouble."

Murata rolled his eyes, and Yuri replied, "Conrart is the best there is; and he doesn't 'let me get into trouble' thank you very much!" Yuri's tone was more than a little indignant.

After a minute he added, "What do you mean arranged marriage?"

Murata snickered, "it is arranged only in the fact that Gwendal has the final say and there is going to be a marriage."

"That's not fair. Conrad should be able to choose his wife." Yuri replied sharply.

Murata shrugged, "or husband."

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Yuri sighed as he walked through the halls of Covenant Castle; it was good to be home. The only thing that could have made it better was if Shori hadn't tagged along. Thankfully he'd managed to give his over bearing brother the slip a good ten minutes ago. He ran a hand through his hair, as he turned and headed for the palace courtyard.

Maybe he could talk Conrad into a game of catch?

Or maybe he could get that fencing lesson the older man had been threatening him with for years.

He walked out into the courtyard and saw one of the oddest sights ever! Yozak was using a long rope and putting Conrad's horse Stardust through her paces, a young woman with an oddly short hairstyle perched precariously on the animal's back.

_Was the man insane?_

He was lucky that horse hadn't killed the woman yet.

She only ever allowed Conrad onto her back and here was this nameless woman who obviously needed riding lessons.

What was Yozak thinking?

He hurried forward, reigning in the impulse to run in and rescue the woman. The one time he'd ever gotten a stern lecture from his godfather it was for running near his ridiculously skittish warhorse. "Yozak," he yelled as he came to a halt at the man's side. "Are you nuts? That's Conrad's horse."

"Really Heika? I forgot." Yozak replied sarcastically.

Yuri didn't know how the man could be so flippant about this. To make matters worse the mare shied and danced at the edge of her rope.

"Shh Stardust, it's okay, calm down girl. Shh, that's it little one, easy easy." The woman's voice was soft and melodious, with an oddly sultry quality which sent shudders down his spine. However it was the familiar gentle tone that raised the hairs on his arms.

"I see you find her voice arousing as well." Yozak placed a hand on the woman's knee only to yank it away quickly when Stardust snapped at him.

"Yozak!" the woman snapped sharply.

Yuri sputtered his brain was telling him something his eyes simply couldn't believe. He knew only one person who was capable of making your name sound like a scathing, lecture. He tapped Yozak's bicep to get the man's attention as he was currently focused on the woman on Stardust's back.

"Hum?" Yozak replied turning his head to look down at him, a thoroughly amused expression on his face.

Yuri fumbled for a way to phrase his question before blurting out, "can Anissina change people's gender?" in a half strangled squeak.

"Apparently yes," Yozak replied mildly.

Stunned Yuri turned his attention to the woman who'd slid down off of Stardust's back, having somehow managed to get the hem of her skirt stuck on the saddle so that too much of her legs were showing as she tried to disentangle the voluminous fabric - cursing fit to make a sailor blush as she worked. "Conrad?" he squeaked.

"The same," The woman replied with a wince, though weather it was at his tone or the distinctive sound of the hem of her skirt ripping, Yuri didn't know.

Conrad glared at the fabric he pulled off of the saddle as if it had personally offended him. "Mostly," he added in a morose tone.

Yuri scratched the back of his neck as he gazed at his godfather turned godmother. "So," he said slowly, doing a very good job at suppressing the need to run in a circle screaming. "How long is it going take Anissina to figure out how to fix you?" he asked after taking a deep calming breath.

Conrad raised an eyebrow, "by fix me; I assume you mean turn me back into a man?"

"Yah." Yuri replied, honestly he'd thought it rather obvious. "After all it's not like you're supposed to be a woman."

"That depends entirely on whose opinion you solicit." Conrad responded, pointedly ignoring Yozak's choked laughter.

Yuri blinked thoroughly confused, "that's vague, even for you Conrad." He replied, "And what does solicit mean anyway?"

Conrad sighed and muttered something about earth and the education system under his breath before responding, "Ask, in this case it means ask, Heika."

"Oh, okay… so what do you mean?" Yuri asked confused. "Why are their different opinions on the matter?"

Conrad sighed, as he unhooked the rope from his horse's bridle, and tossed it to Yozak before turning to lead the animal back to her paddock. "Because nobody bothered to consult me on it."

Yuri fell into step behind the man, "what do you mean?" he asked after a second. Honestly how did one respond to such a statement?

Conrad snorted in a highly un-princely fashion when one of the soldiers offered to 'take the lady's pleasure mount.' Lifting his chin defiantly, he walked past the man to put Stardust back into her customary paddock; Yuri wasn't stupid enough to follow him in and clearly neither was Yozak. Yuri sighed and settled himself against the fence to wait. While Conrad deftly stripped her of tack, treating the sidesaddle as if it might bite him. He tucked his face into the horses' mane briefly before turning his attention back to the young and clearly new guardsman who'd followed him partly into the paddock, muttering about unseemliness.

"Uh-oh," Yozak muttered as Conrad's eyes narrowed.

Conrad gazed at the guard and tapped the mare lightly along the flank, right were his booted toe would have been had he been astride. The mare reared up and hopped forward brandishing deadly hooves, as the guard scrambled for the safety of the fence. Conrad whistled, easily calling his war horse off, and pulling a sugar cube out of his blouse for the horse before calmly exiting the paddock as if he hadn't just set the most dangerous animal in the palace after someone for no reason.

"Conrad!" Yuri yelled in surprise and dismay "was that necessary?" Honestly he'd never seen the man act like that.

"It made me feel better." Conrad replied mildly, before adding, "Great One it's not like she would have actually hurt him… without a command."

Yuri stared at his godfather in abject shock, "Who the hell are you and what in the world have you done with Conrad?"

Conrad snorted derisively, "That's what I'd like to know."

Yuri stared after his godfather as the man stalked away in an uncharacteristic huff, only pausing once to untangle the frayed hem of his skirts from the ridiculously thin heel of his ridding boot. "What the hell is wrong with him?" he demanded of Yozak the second the man had disappeared into the castle.

Yozak sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "You'll have to excuse Connie, Kiddo. She's going through a lot right now."

Yuri gapped at him.

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Connie sat on her sofa; she was exhausted by the events in her life. She just wanted to cry, her life sucked. First Yozak told Conrart he wanted to date, which he'd promptly screwed up. Only to have his life up ended by Yuri overturning a damned law that he'd always hated to begin with. Yuri had done the right thing and he, she knew that. But it had ruined his/her life, and damn-it it just wasn't fair! Hell he wasn't even sure what gender pronoun to apply to himself… herself.

Fuck!

To top it all off now his mother was dragging him out on some stupid 'Girls only weeklong trip to the spa' with two of the three other people he currently wanted to dance over with a warhorse!

What in the Great One's name had given her the idea that this was a good idea? He wasn't even comfortable using the woman's baths. Yozak was still lugging water up to his rooms for the most part, or he was going to bathe whenever the bath was empty. There were portions of his anatomy that he honestly had no idea how to deal with. Hell he didn't even want to think about them.

Honestly he'd rather go back to military school then go through with this farce!

It just wasn't fair.

Maybe they should just invite Gwendal to this travesty – then it would be him and everybody he currently hated for a week.

Why stop at just the three!

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Yuri sat in his room stunned into silence.

Conrad was really Victoria?

All these years he'd really had a Godmother and not a Godfather?

His changing the law had allowed her to become the woman she was supposed to be.

But Connie didn't want to be a woman, as far as she was concerned she was still Conrad.

Gwendal, Anissina, Cecilia and Gisela however all thought she should go back to being female.

God this was so messed up!

He needed a drink!

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A.N.

Werewolf: I would like to apologize for how long you had to wait for this chapter, my muse seems to have gone walkabout for this fic. Any way we have lots of crazy messed up shit for you in future chapters so stay tuned and I promise it won't take four months this time.


	13. Chapter 13

Connie sat on her side of the carriage silently glaring at the three chattering women she had the misfortune of traveling with. Why did she have to go along for this idiotic "week of pampering" to show her the "benefits of being a delicate noble flower."

Frankly they could shove their fucking 'spa week' up a Hell's Paradise –

She sighed; even for Conrart such ungracious thoughts were inappropriate. Still the idea of going out for a week of pampering and 'female bonding' with the three women she held responsible for her current predicament was a little much.

The damned marriage custom was archaic to begin with and only still upheld by the 10 noble families, of which he was not a part of. Stoffel and the other noble lords had taken pains to drill that fact into Conrart's head over the years.

So why was Connie so different?

Why did she have to be bound by some archaic custom?

She glanced over at her mother who was chatting happily with Anissina and Gisela, oblivious to her child's annoyance and general emotional turmoil. It had been a long day. A long day that was not being made any easier by the silent treatment she was getting.

Okay so technically they had tried to include her in their conversations, and she had resolutely ignored them. But what did they expect? As far as she was concerned Yozak seemed to be the only one who gave a damn about her.

And this was a 'ladies only' trip.

So why in the hell had they thought to bring him along?

As far as she was concerned being a woman –

Sucked

She wanted absolutely no part of it.

She was still Conrart, captain of the king's guard and commander of their great nation's Calvary.

She was not a damned, stupid, delicate lady of rank. The entire court could shove their great expectations of upcoming, enforced, un-consenting, yet supposedly advantages nuptials up their collective arrogant, presumptuous, egotistical asses and be damned happy it wasn't her sword!

Inside her own head, Conrart snorted, and muttered his agreement. She may not have liked being forced to be physically male, while sharing a body with her murdered twin brother, but they were both discovering that they liked being female, even less!

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Connie sighed as she followed the other three women through the spa towards their accommodations. The three were going on about 'how good it was going to feel to spoil themselves'. She did her best to ignore them.

She was an unwilling participant in this… excursion.

She may have had no choice but to attend

But they damned well couldn't force her (or Conrart for that matter) to enjoy themselves!

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Connie moaned as strong hands kneaded her muscles, working out the knots that were the unseen but certainly felt result of the last few months. She lay face down on the table; naked as the day she was born with nothing but a sheet to preserve her 'modesty.'

It was a wholly different feeling. Yozak aside, she was extremely body shy now that her life had been turned on its ear and had been very reluctant to strip down for the massage her mother had booked for her, even though she was very familiar and even on friendly terms with the gentleman masseur. Hell he was the masseur he/she usually employed when at this establishment in the past. Still the necessity of being naked and her new female form had all culminated in her being extremely uncomfortable. However, the discomfort brought on by muscles knotted by severe stress had decided her in the end. She was well aware that the knots had never been this bad before. Usually she could and often did submit quietly to Yozak's skilled hands whenever stress began to show upon her body.

But, seeing how Yozak currently had the rather unfortunate need for a fresh pair of underpants at the mere suggestion of her naked, or involved in any activity that would require that condition … they had rather mutually avoided the subject of a massage in the hopes of preserving Yozak's dignity.

Somehow both she and Conrart found their friend's predicament amusing.

She moaned as strong hands worked out a particularly bad knot.

Okay so maybe this outing wasn't all bad.

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Connie lounged in the warm water with the three women who'd accompanied her on this trip, silently enjoying the way it caressed her skin. She'd enjoyed the spa as Conrart with her brothers and even Yuri, but this was a uniquely different experience. For one thing his mother and the Ladies Gisela and Anissina were by far more … talkative then she was used to.

"What about Yozak?" Gisela enquired in a mockingly scandalized tone of voice. "Gwendal would have to hire an entire platoon of guards, to keep the two of you apart."

"Speaking of guards, Victoria, your younger brother tells me you keep slipping away from their care. This action, while dangerous for Conrart, is really unacceptable from you dear. You could be hurt." Cecilia added her voice laced with quiet disappointment.

Connie snorted and rolled her eyes, not caring in the least that it was unladylike. "I am hardly in danger of being injured mother." She said mildly, "For one thing I'm perfectly capable of defending myself. You used to trust me with Heika Yuri's safety, and frankly I am a little hurt that everyone seems to have decided that I am not even capable of defending myself now that I am physically female. As for slipping my guards, you know as well as I do that Yozak has always been capable of keeping up with me. If you want me to spend time with my guards, then I suggest you hire Yozak as my guard and be done with it. At least he doesn't treat me like I'm at risk of dying if I stub my toe."

"Speaking of Yozak, you two are awfully close. Is it true he's well endowed?" Anissina enquired candidly.

Connie gaped at them wholly appalled by their forward behavior. "I really don't see how that's any of your business!"

To her utter horror Gisela and her lady mother laughed at her outrage.

"Oh come now Victoria," Cecilia said in a way to off handed manner for the subject. "I've heard he'd big enough to make a Stallion jealous."

"And skilled enough that even one of the shrine maidens would happily lift her skirts." Gisela added.

"EWWWW!" Connie shrieked, in more than a little disgust and outrage before quickly vacating the hot tub, and fleeing the room as her mother and the two other women discussed the size of her best friend's sword and how skilled he was at using it.

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Connie sighed as she lay quietly on a table for some ridiculous female treatment or another her mother had ordered her to have. She had to admit the slight warmth of the stuff that was being spread across her legs was quite pleasurable. The heat soaking into her reminded her of a hot compress on a soar or stressed muscle and she was enjoying the process, though she had to admit the sheets of linen they were wrapping her in were odd, as was the way they kept running their hands down across the fabric, as if to sooth it.

She didn't know what they were doing but it sure felt good.

And then the lady grasped the end of the linen strip and pulled!

She shot up in place shouting obscenities she had picked up from Yozak and the other soldiers over the years.

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Connie was not impressed,

Not in the least.

In fact she was now officially sure of the fact that being female was the worst sort of torture imaginable and she hadn't even started the infamous bleeding she was apparently going to have to suffer through once a month for the rest of her bloody life.

After yesterday's waxing experience she had rather vehemently decided that all three of the women in the bloody carriage with her were: a) dead to her, and b) sadistic fuckers.

She honestly couldn't see how things could possibly get any worse!

She was seriously considering going to the bank and taking out a large sum of Weller gold, finding the nearest body of water and sitting in it until the damned Great One got off his incorporeal ass and sent her back to earth where she could have the situation fixed.

Permanently

She never thought she'd miss having a penis.

But damn it she was going to get hers back even if she had to pay a doctor for it!

Beside her the damn sick, sadistic women she had the misfortune of sharing a carriage with were droning on and on about exactly what a bloody huge pile of steaming Hells Paradise Goala shit her life was going to be like for the rest of her torturously female existence. They didn't even have the decency to admit that it was going to be a pile of excrement the size of a dragon. Oh no, from the way they were talking about it, you would think she was being sentenced to life in a bed of rose petals.

She expected as much from her mother.

The woman had been rather quickly married off to Gwendal's father by the time she would have been forced to go through this idiotic ceremony. Additionally she was fairly certain her mother just wanted to reassure her, her life was not going to be abject torture. Günter's great-grandfather didn't believe in this particular ceremony, so the Von Kleist family hadn't practiced this particular tradition since then. So Gisela had no knowledge of this tradition, or it's many interlocking ceremonies beyond what she needed to know as a healer.

Anissina on the other hand, had no such excuse.

She'd thrown an outright tantrum over the much more subdued form her own hastily arranged marriage was meant to have taken. A prospective marriage that had only been canceled after the hypocritical little shit, had simultaneously threatened her lord brother with the utter embarrassment of her committing double suicide (with either Lord Von Voltaire or Dakoskos as an unwilling participant) and Blowing up Blood Pledge Palace.

Personally she didn't feel the other woman had the right to be attempting to sell the manure she was currently shoveling.

She didn't care; if her new life was supposed to be the lap of luxury.

She was not now, nor was she ever going to be some man's subservient broodmare!

She'd sooner see her lord husband gelded and be done with it.

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Connie stood in the middle of her mother's room gaping at the other woman in abject horror. She couldn't believe what she wanted her to do. As soon as they'd gotten to the palace her mother had dragged her up to her personal suite to try on the monstrosity of strategically placed fabric she'd ordered made for the damned ball.

They'd argued about it for the better part of an hour but to no avail. Before she'd quite understood what was happening she'd been rather summarily shoved behind a changing screen, before being stripped and redressed like a Shinou be damned oversized doll!

She still couldn't – quite – believe it. It had happened that fast.

One moment they were arguing, the next she was clad in the damn scrap fabric masquerading as a dress.

"Mother," Connie said quietly, trying vainly to master her formidable temper, a temper the entirety of her family often forgot she possessed. "You have got to be joking. This thing hardly qualifies as lingerie, let alone as a dress to be worn in public."

Cecilia just smiled at her, "Come now, Victoria dear, you have no sense of style. The boys will simply love you in that."

Connie pinched the bridge of her nose and tried very hard to ignore the use of her actual first name. She knew that Conrart was not technically her name, but damn it, it had been hers for over a century! She saw no reason to change that now. As for her twin he was dead, and had been for a very long time, but his name had kept her alive. It felt wrong somehow to abandon it. Like in leaving it behind she left him behind as well.

That just didn't seem right, or fair. They were both still here after all. Both were still individual and distinct. Hell they even argued upon occasion.

Which was strange, according to everything she'd ever read on the subject, they should have merged into one personality long ago. However most of the accounts were of adults or teenagers who had lost their twin, not infants. From what she understood, her personality should have remained largely intact with Conrart existing and showing through as new personality quarks that where distinctively his, and through acquired skills she had never possessed.

Which meant Conrart's voice and opinions should never have been this clear. They should not be able to argue. Conrart should not be able to make snarky comments in her mental ear. They should not be quite literally sharing a body. They shouldn't both be in love with a man who had no clue there was in fact two of them in her body. And he sure as hell shouldn't be able to wrest control of her body away.

Maybe she should talk to the Great Sage about that.

Not that it mattered much in this case; they were in complete agreement on their mother's sartorial choices.

That dress had more in common with a belt then actual clothing!

"Mother, my under clothing is clearly visible in this _thing, _and there is no way to fix that." She replied simply, hoping that at least would get her mother to see reason.

To her abject horror her mother's only response to that statement was to reach out and pluck the strings of her standard issue noble underwear so that the damned irritating scrap of lace fell away. Leaving her feeling even more exposed. She shifted sideways sharply, trying to avoid her mother's hands as the woman reached for the ties of her breastband.

Sadly she failed and her breastband soon joined her panties on her mother's floor.

"Mother!" she squeaked sharply. "That just makes it look worse."

Her mother just smiled at her, "oh don't worry dear, it's not finished yet. We still have jewelry and the over-dress. You'll love the way it looks when I'm done, just as soon as you've gotten used to it."

She gapped at her mother as the insane woman made her way across the room to retrieve a parcel from under her bed. "I had these commissioned to go with the dress dear. Let's get you fully dressed so you can see how lovely it looks."

She was honestly too stunned to move, when her mother turned away from her and set about selecting the "perfect bit of jewelry."

The first bit of jewelry she removed from the parcel was a two layered necklace. The first layer was a silver chain collar style choker. Backed with a length of deep blue silk for comfort, with gold chain linking pink pearls and clear crystals, a small ornate silver heart pendent rested against the junction of her collarbones. It was actually quite pretty though she disliked it for the simple reason that it felt as if it should obstruct her breathing. It didn't, but the feeling that it should was there and unavoidable. The second layer was made of matching silver links, pink pearls and clear crystal beads, but longer and shaped like a V. Dangling from the point of the V was another small ornate silver heart. It fell just short of brushing the top of her bosom.

All in all it was a very pretty piece of jewelry, and while she disliked the collar piece and felt that the three long chains dangling from the point of the lower heart needed to be removed she could live with it.

"Beautiful are they not dear?" her mother enquired softly, leading her over to her vanity chair.

Connie could only nod. She'd see about fixing the necklace, but she would most likely be keeping it. Her mother went briefly to the bed, and returned with a small box. "Here dear, put these on." Her mother ordered airily. Connie sighed and opening the box pulled out a startling pair of heeled sandals. They were a very high stiletto, died deep blue to match the fabric of the under-dress, and designed to match the look of her necklace. Silver linked pink pearls and clear crystals backed with soft dark blue suede formed the ankle, foot and leg straps of the shoe.

Sighing she pulled on the shoes, very well aware that she was likely to break her neck in the more than six inch heels. Her mother again returned to the bed after more jewelry. Connie rolled her eyes and shuddered slightly at the thought of the amount of jewelry she would be wearing on her wedding day and at the betrothing ball. It would make the amount of jewelry she was expected to wear at the coming out ball pale by comparison. While many women today wore only a necklace and bracelet it looked as though her mother had harkened back to the older traditions that saw young girls wearing jewelry to mark their social status.

Her mother returned to her side, clasping two fine silver bracelets that matched her necklace perfectly. She helped her to stand on the too high heels before leading her back over to the mirror, and going to retrieve the rest of the jewelry. Connie turned her head and glanced down at the wide array of jewelry in the bag and wondered idly if her mother had picked out her wedding and betrothal jewelry as well as her jewelry for the ball.

'_You won't catch me wrapped up in that much jewelry, like some Earth sultan's newest Harem girl!' _came Conrart's sharp purely mental comment.

'_I'm open to suggestions!' _She snapped back in response.

'_Here's a thought, say NO!' _He retorted just as sharply. _'Before our mother decides you need something _other _than your ears pierced.'_

Somehow during their argument she'd lost track of their mother. When she came back to the world outside of her mind, her mother had mostly finished with her jewelry. Removing two of the chains from the hart shaped pendent, leaving only the longer middle chain attached to her necklace. She'd positioned it so that it plunged down between her breasts, calling attention to her ample, and overly displayed, cleavage, before continuing its trek southward to her navel. Her mother had secured it to a bit of jewelry that bore a superficial resemblance to a belt. If one could imagine a belt made out of several fine silver wires each a little less than a millimeter in diameter breaded together in an intricate spiral. It followed the curve of her hips like a demented silver corset. Two more silver heart pendants dangled from the ridiculously nonfunctional belt. The point of one pendent tickled the cleft of her buttocks; while the top of the other heart hung only just above the point of the plunging V neck of her dress. Resulting in the tip of the hart shaped pendent resting upon the lips of her womanhood.

"There, now it's perfect." Her mother said with perverse calmness as she adjusted the dress so that the tiny strips of fabric that barely covered her nipples, somehow worked with the small chains under her breasts, and at her sides, to pull her bosom up while at the same time squeezing them in, so that her breasts looked big enough to hide a watermelon between.

The overdress proved to be little more than a sheer floor length slip. Like the scrap of blue fabric masquerading as a skirt it had a slit clean up to her hip. Although it at least only had it on one side, and at least the front was a solid piece of fabric, unlike the 'dress'. She was seriously tempted to demand to know how much her mother was expecting her to be charging for her services.

Idly she wondered if she was spending too much time with Yozak.

"Mother, I can't wear this to the 'coming out' ball. It's to revealing." She said calmly.

Sadly her mother didn't agree, sparking an argument of epic proportions. Cecilia absolutely refused to see reason. To make matters worse, her mother felt that she needed to get used to walking in the ridiculously high stilettos and appallingly skimpy dress. To that end Cecilia was withholding her clothing until dinner.

Finally having argued herself nearly hoarse Connie turned on her heel and stormed out of her mother's quarters. Exasperation warring with outrage, she made her way to her bedroom as fast as she could manage in the damned stilettos. Admittedly that wasn't nearly as fast as it should have been, since she would rather not break her neck.

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"Well hello there sexy."

Connie jerked to a stop, in her rage she had not bothered to pay attention to where she was going. There was hardly a need when she'd lived in the palace for more than a century. She'd been born here and the path to her quarters were well traveled enough that she didn't need to think in order to find them. As such the rather slimy voice and the pervert it was attached to had been a bit of a shock as was the rather solid, male body blocking her path down the corridor.

She arched an eyebrow at Shori and shifted her stance, her right hand coming to rest at her left hip where her sword had rested for decades before this travesty had started.

"Not interested." She replied bluntly, moving to go around him.

Shori on the other hand seemed to have other ideas. She stood her ground as the overgrown man child took a rather deliberate step into her personal space. She had all the training and hard won skill to defend herself, but at the moment she didn't think she had the balance to scare a kitten in these heels. Hopefully she could bluff her way out of this situation, without having to defend herself. She was very well aware of the perverted video games he played, and she had little hope of his views being anything but chauvinistic. Although she hoped that the boy's mother would have been able to temper his youthful sexual ambitions and teach him the proper respect for women. Her own mother had spent decades drilling proper edict into all three of her children, and if she was honest, she was appalled at both Shori's opening line and his continued invasion of space on more than one level.

"Really?" Shori enquired as he took, yet another step towards her; "because your clothing choices tell a very different story."

Connie took a single step back, shifting her weight as she did so and slide easily past him. Hurrying down the corridors at a clip that while a good deal slower than her usual strident march, was still a good bit faster then was necessarily safe given the unsuitability of her foot wear.

She threw open the door to her rooms and stormed in, slamming the front door behind her as she made a bee line for the safety of her bedroom; slamming that door – purely for good measure – as well. While the emotional display did absolutely nothing for the situation she was in, it at least made her feel slightly better. Flopping down on her bed she rolled onto her back grabbed one of the many pillows from the head of her bed, and attempted to smother a scream with it.

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Yozak froze in shock, words dying on his lips, as Connie charged into her quarters, looking mad enough to kill. He honestly didn't know what shocked him more the state of her clothing or the fact that aside from not noticing that he was in her living room she also failed to notice Heika Yuri and the Great Sage were also standing, rather slack jawed in her entry room. He flinched as the door to her room slammed, and turned his attention to the two stunned young men in the room with him.

"I should go talk to her." He said calmly.

Murata, bless him, just nodded before grabbing Yurri by the arm and quite literally dragged the still gawking Yurri out of the room.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose he turned and headed into his best friend's room. Connie lay sprawled out on her bed, in a dress that looked rather less then something a lower district whore would wear if one discounted the obviously expensive jewelry.

The sarcastic question -_So who's' services cost more, the seamstress's or yours - _died on the tip of his tongue when his beloved beast friend shrieked into her pillow.

"At least we know your lungs work." He said instead, perching himself on the foot of her bed and dragging one foot into his lap so he could begin the process of releasing it from its jeweled torture device.

"I hate this." She hissed from under the pillow. "I hate being a girl. I'm not allowed to do anything; mother keeps trying to get me to wear completely nonfunctional clothing. Wolfram is convinced I need a chaperone, Shori just hit on me, and don't even get me started on Gwendal, the damned chauvinistic pig."

Yozak blinked at that, before sighing. "I'm sure he just wants what's best for you. He probably just doesn't know how to go about it. This is all new to him to." He set her foot down and pulled the other foot into his lap and began to liberate it as well.

Connie sighed, "This is just as new to you, and you haven't tried to treat me like anything other than the person I was."

"That's because I'm well aware of the fact that you can kick my ass, regardless of your gender." Yozak retorted.

That worked. Connie laughed and finally came out from under her pillow.

"So what's with the dress?" he asked after he finished freeing her foot, on impulse he ran the pads of his fingers up along the arch of her foot.

Connie jerked and actually giggled. "It's the dress mother wants me to wear to the ball. Apparently she wants me to make a statement."

"What statement is that? Rape me?" He demanded sharply. "Because if she wanted you to lose your virginity before you actually get married, all she really has to do is let me know and I'd be happy to teach you all about pleasure in this form."

Connie arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm a noble Yozak. Noble men may value their wives virtue, but they value her fertility more. I assure you I won't be a virgin on my wedding night. Seeing as it's nigh on impossible to get pregnant without first losing one's virginity."

"Excuse me?" Yozak demanded sharply.

Connie snorted. "By the old customs, noble women get married pregnant. It's supposed to ensure that their husband's house continues. It's been going out of practice since mother was a little girl, but for the most part all of the noble families still practice at least that part of the old customs."

Yozak raised an eyebrow. "Somehow the way you said that is not comforting."

Connie laughed at that, "No," She said softly. "No, it isn't. But it is life." That said she arched an eyebrow at him and smirked at him in a way he hadn't seen since they were young carefree children. "As for your offer…"

She left it hanging just long enough for the more primal portions of his anatomy to get their hopes up.

"Aren't we a bit presumptuous, my egotistical friend?"

Yozak couldn't help it, he laughed, despite the fact that that dress already had him at half mast. He smirked right back at her. Revenge after all was sweat and often best served cold, although in this case it was more like lukewarm. "Egotistical? Me? Why Connie you wound me. After all I'm fairly certain that his Eminence would have happily made the same offer. Hell, I'm fairly certain Heika was about to as well, judging by how the two of them where ogling you when you first came into your rooms."

"Oh Great One, they were here?" Connie yelped.

Yozak gave her an evil grin, "Although, it might be better if you went with one of them. Personally I like my women to have enough _hair _to suggest they're past puberty."

To his immense pleasure Connie squealed.

"Pervert!" she cried, before beginning to assault him – repeatedly – with her pillow.

"What? It's not my fault I can see everything in that dress. Nice maidenhood by the way."

For some reason that only made her hit him harder. Laughing, he reached out and snagged his own plush bludgeoning instrument and began to batter his best-friend right back.

WLBWLBWLBWLBWLBWLBWLBWLBWLB

Connie lay on her bed, almost an hour later, amidst the scattered debris of countless pillows. Feathers clung to her hair and Yozak's body was a firm presence underneath her own. Reminding her of the carefree days of their childhood when a pillow fight had been the best way to settle any argument. Yozak had an arm wrapped around her waist clutching her to his chest like a lover.

She hated to ruin the moment, but as much as she hated to do it she really wanted to get into some real clothing. Frankly she wasn't sure she could get out of the ridiculously fabric light dress she was currently wearing without help. Not with the way the small silver chains were held together between her shoulder blades.

"Um Yozak?" she enquired softly into his chest.

His reply was an inarticulate noise.

"Can you help me out of this thing?"

Yozak opened his eyes briefly and leered up at her. "Why? I've come to like this dress." He replied in a tone that was downright saucy.

Connie couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her; somehow Yozak always knew just how to make everything better. "Pervert." She replied mockingly, gently swatting his chest.

A.N

I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but real life kept getting in the way of this chapter. I should have the next chapter of this out soon.


End file.
